Artitist Statement:
There is a certain beauty in visualizing the sequence of events that takes place inside a piano. When the finger lands on a key that causes the hammer to strike the string that allows the audible note to ring out and the music to flow. As a visual artist and musician, I am fascinating by the inner workings of the piano. I was always frustrated by my school instructors lack of interest in the traditions of the piano: classical music, the instrument’s function and tuning. I always wanted to know more and, for this reason, the piano and its insides have become a personal metaphor for mystery.
Although I am a musician, I am a multi-media visual artist with a central focus in painting, assemblage, collage, sculpture, and performance. My current body of work focuses on the mechanics of the piano to symbolically explore that which is mysterious, desirable, and hidden in myself.
Artist Bio:
Lucas Nelson is a painter, sculptor, drawer, theatre tech and actor. His visual work serves as a teaching mechanism, starting by examining the topic from strange or personal perspectives and then delving into the subject by getting closer and directing the mechanics, ultimately teaching and learning how the object works and why it is important to him. The majority of his work is realism, utilising mostly oils or mixed media depending on what the piece commands, while other cohesive works involve collage, assemblage, layering, and sculpture.
Lucas’ theatre work ranges from tech crew where he designs sets and does complex lighting design and operation that add depth and artistic flair the the stage, to acting where he has played any role from serious to comedic.
Musically Lucas plays piano, which is a heavy influence on his work, both performative and visual.
