Artist Information - Nate Scoble
Statement
I seek too much meaning in my work, existing in a continuum from specifics to open-endedness. The work might be called ‘representational abstraction’. I combine and layer clearly- and not-so-clearly-identifiable images to get a mystery-pool, where swimming things may eternally ponder themselves and get answers that breed more questions.
Should apparent clutter and bad design (as in our life) be decried.. . . or revered?
Recognizability is I believe the entrance into compassion, and truest compassion is saved from the safety of being fully ‘known’ (as in ‘swallowed and digested’ also ‘sexually consumed’) by various kinds of darkness and mystery, at the price of my relinquishing.. . . further.. . . control of what the viewer finds in my work.
My works are ‘personscapes’, since selfhood today is a ‘complex’, shape-shifting, inter- as intra-personal, corporate-cancerous, humbly-godly, melding with the earth we are at pains to save from ourselves.
Taking into account Alfred Korzybski’s declaration that any written declaration is false under some conditions, it might be said that depending how I dance with my sieve, it holds water. At least it sparkles. Actions speak louder anyway. May some of my paintings join some of my songs to be viewed as among my best actions.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
• B.A., UC Santa Cruz, Music Compositionm 1977
• B.A., Otis/Parsons Los Angeles, Fine Arts Painting and Printmaking, 1982
• Courses at Los Angeles City College in Life Drawing, Acrylic Painting, Oil Painting, 2010 – present
VISUAL ART
I began creating layered and 'multi-face' drawings and paintings while at Otis/Parsons and following (1980-1983). But I put fine art aside
for 17 years while pursuing other things. These included a career as a magazine art director and graphic designer, and writing and performing original music for many years. The call to make music remains strong. But my principal creative path is visual art, in which
I seek to better incorporate my writing and song.
I recognize that my visual work since an early age has been ‘Selfscapes’, where the borders within the individual and between him/her and others and 'terra' are open to much revision. Now this is in the context of our planetary ‘metropole’ and crisis. My visual work is evolving in a fuller way with my music and writing, since I resumed drawing and painting in 2000 after life-threatening illness and discontinuing graphic design full-time. My visual arts work includes the following projects.
• Drawings 2001-present:
Selfscapes: 'Plume' / 'The Live Oaks’ / 'Simple Moms’ / 'Detective Dan’ / 'War is the diseased becoming the deceased' /
'Katherina’ / 'Startron and the Love Ring' (in tandem with the musical work) / 'Iona'
• Paintings, 'Selfscapes: small paintings' (30" x 22"), 2002-2003
• Illustration projects 2001-2005:
Created story and art for children’s book, ‘Do You Have A Favorite Horse?’ (2001)
Created story and art for a children’s book, ‘The Best Chest’ (2004)
Created story and art for a children’s book, ‘Ur And The Voices’ (2005)
• Paintings, 'Selfscapes: multi-faces' (48" x 60"), 2005-2006
• Large 'Selfscapes' on illustration board, mixed media, 2007-2008
• 'Selfscapes' on 8" x 8" panels, mixed media, 2009
• 'Selfscapes: STONES series', 8" x 8" panels, mixed media, 2010-present
• 'Graduation Day' series, large paintings in acrylic, 2011
SHOWN ART
• Holiday Shows, Topanga Canyon Gallery, 12-2008, 12-2009, 12-2010
• Participant in shows at Topanga Canyon Gallery, 04-2009 — 12-2011
• Participant in Student Exhibition, Los Angeles City College, 05-2012
AWARDS
• First Prize in Painting (shared with Jennifer Dawson), Los Angeles City College, 05-2012
MUSIC PROJECTS
I have been an active singer-songwriter and guitarist for many years. My principal projects
(performances and recordings) follow.
• The Blue Daisies (1982-1985); album, ‘Wilt’, (Iridescense #123, Michael Sheppard, producer,
Ethan James, Engineer, 1985).
• What Makes Donna Twirl? (1985-1987); album, ‘What Makes Donna Twirl? / TonijeSala’ album released
(PsychoAcoustic Sounds / Ralph, 1987).
• The Smash Cousins (later Future of Hell) (1988-1990).
• ‘Nude Knight’ solo CD (1987-1990), released under pseudonym Nils Shields (1990).
• Mouthsore with Russell Masuno (aka ‘Ginger Leigh’) (1991-1994).
• ‘Virgette de Godbunker’, second solo CD of all-original material (1992-1993); album released under
pseudonym Nils Shields (1993).
• Lead guitarist and co-writer with The Deadbeats (who wrote the song ‘Kill The Hippies’) (1996-2000).
• Song cycle, ‘Songs for Bob Enevoldsen’ (personal friend), music in jazz idiom (unreleased, 1997).
• Song cycle, ‘Darkheart’ (unreleased, 1999).
• Song cycle: ‘Kanan’ (unreleased, 2002).
• Song cycle: ‘Trystram Street' (2004-present); project in progress.
• Co-written art songs and bossa-nova-idiom songs with Weba Garretson, performed by her (2004-present).
• Song cycle, ‘Firelight’, recorded 2000-2007 by ‘Lovegiver’ musical project –
Spencer Savage (drums/percussion) and Michael Gordon (saxophone). Released 2007.
• Song cycle, 'Slide up!', may be termed 'proggy blues rock', work in progress, 2009-present.
• ‘Startron And The Love Ring’, an avant-rock opera, recorded 1996-2010, released 2010.
• Song cycle, 'Shimmer in Her', may be termed 'prog pop', recorded 2010-2011, released 2011.
• Song cycle, 'On Our Way', may be termed 'instrumental prog', recorded 2009-2011, released 2011.
• Song cycle, 'JazzN1', may be termed 'jazz', recorded 2009-2011, released 2011.
• Song cycle, 'JazzN2', may be termed 'jazz, rock, fusion', recorded 2009-2011, released 2011.
• Song cycle, ‘Lavendar Lovegiver In The Pansex’, may be termed 'proggy goth-y', recorded 1999-2011, released 2011.
• Song cycle, 'Certain Solos', work that may be sung by solo guitarist, in progress.
MUSIC PERFORMANCES
• Many shows with The Blue Daisies, What Makes Donna Twirl?, The Smash Cousins, Mouthsore at Los Angeles clubs and spaces
as noted above from 1982 through 1994.
• ‘Startron And The Love Ring' performed with Spencer Savage, percussion, at Glaxa Studios, Los Angeles, May 1996.
• Original songs, performed with Spencer Savage, percussion, at Beyond Baroque, Venice, July 1998.
• NIine solo performances of current songs at Dangerous Curve, Los Angeles, from 12-2006 to 05-2008.
POETRY
• Active in Beyond Baroque Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop, 05-1996 to 12-1999. (See also 'Graphic Design'.)
GRAPHIC DESIGN
• Assistant Art Director at HOME MAGAZINE, Knapp Communications Corp (1987-1988).
• Art Director of AUDIO/VIDEO INTERIORS, CurtCo Publishing Corp, a high-end monthly
coffee-table magazine (1988-1995).
• Designed Beyond Baroque Logo (1997). Designed and produced Beyond Baroque Wednesday Night Poetry
Workshop Anthology (Sarah Maclay and Jessica Pompeii, Editors); its format has served since as the format for
poetry books published by Beyond Baroque (1997-1998).
• Designed Corporate Annual Reports as Senior Designer at Libera Design, Santa Monica (1998).
• Freelance Graphic Designer / Art Director (1996-present).
• Designed Premiere Issue of VACATION HOMES, CurtCo Publishing LLC (2004).
652 Moulton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031 • www.natescoble.com • nmscoble@sbcglobal.net • 323.227.1039