Opening reception: January 9, 6 – 8 pm

Octavia Art Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new mixed media works by artist Nall. Over his extensive career, Nall has garnered both regional and international attention with a sprawling body of work that includes painting, mosaic, sculpture, etching, costume and set design, and porcelain.

A Southern artist from Alabama, Nall attended L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in the 1970s. Nall has drawn inspiration from, and studied with, his mentor Salvador Dalí, and throughout his career has also been influenced by American psychedelic art, fauvism, impressionism and Japanese wash drawings. Because of the artist’s sumptuous, beautiful, and Baroque handling of his subject matter, there is often complex meaning to be found hidden just beneath the surface of his visually dense works. To investigate these broad and overarching themes, Nall typically utilizes several techniques, processes and media to create each work. Often starting with a drawing or print, Nall then constructs elaborate frameworks for each image out of driftwood, mosaic tile, and found objects, so that the frame becomes an integral component of the overall piece. Nall’s method blurs the line between the two dimensional lexicon of drawing and painting and the three-dimensionality of sculpture, so that his works become a kind of hybrid through which to best present his ideas.

In this exhibition, Nall continues to focus on a variety of subject matter, including landscapes and the flora and fauna of the Southern United States and France.  The exhibition also includes a series of two dimensional works and sculpture inspired by the release of Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman. Nall designed the dust jacket for a Deluxe Edition of the book published by Alabama Booksmith which includes a leather bound tribute to Harper Lee written by Rick Bragg and a giclee print by Nall.  The limited edition prints and tribute are numbered and signed by Rick Bragg and Nall respectively and will be available at the gallery.

Nall lives and works between Fairhope, Alabama, Monte Carlo, Monaco and Vence, France. He received a BA in Art, Political Science and Psychology from the University of Alabama and studied art at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts. Nall and his work have been acclaimed by CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time Magazine, the Italian Republica, the French La Figaro, and The LA Times. In addition to his artwork, Nall maintains the N.A.L.L. Art Association in Vence, France. The institute trains and educates young artists, many of whom are recovering from alcohol, drugs and 21st century abuses.