Uncle Dope, 2017

Miami Beach 2017
Uncle Dope

Rhona Hoffman Gallery

Mixed Media
Black charcoal, gouache, soft pastel, oil pastel, and paint stick on Coventry Vellum paper
61.0 x 44.5 （厘米）
24.0 x 17.5 （吋）
Nathaniel Mary Quinn deftly integratesmaterials including charcoal, gouache, pastel,paint stick, and oils to create abstractedportraits in which facial features coalesce anddissolve to echo the complex identities of hissubjects. Each fractured portrait stems from adeeply personal ‘vision’ related to the artist’sexperience or memory. Each piece radiates theartist’s deep understanding of the richnessand duality of human experience, drawinginspiration from his complicated upbringingin Chicago’s public housing Robert TaylorHomes; comedians whose jokes provided asurvival tactic in these conditions; teacherswho recognized his promise and securedhis admission to a prestigious boardingschool; family members who unexpectedlydisappeared when the artist was only fifteen;or the complex characters in his currentBrooklyn neighborhood.Whether using his distinct ‘paint-drawing’technique on Coventry Vellum paper or paintingon linen, Quinn masterfully renders facialfeatures, skin, and clothing textures with flatareas of bold color, painterly brushstrokes, andcrisp marks to achieve a collective portrait ofhumanity’s nefarious beauty.