A. Dale Nally: A Connection to Nature

A. Dale Nally

By Denise Colson

A. Dale Nally is a painter who lives and works in the heart of the Wynwood Art District in Miami, Florida. His work, which manifests a creative use of pictorial materials, is the result of an ongoing process of self-reflection and personal growth. The paintings of A. Dale Nally display a keen sensitivity, an appreciation for his surroundings and an intense connection to nature. Over the past decade, his work has been extensively exhibited in various cities of the United States, Europe and Asia. Recently, ARTDISTRICTS visited him at his studio to discuss his career, creative processes and future projects.

Denise Colson - Your work appears to go from the particular to the universal. It seems to have a connection to nature, to the essence of things, and from there it opens itself to the universal. Do you share this interpretation? Does this have anything to do with how you have developed as a person and as an artist?

A. Dale Nally - Yes, of course.  I think that as an artist, all I can do is begin with the particular, or the personal, and then expand on that to the universal, or at least a more expansive view of the world and my relationship to it. I was raised on a small farm in Appalachian Kentucky and even though I have lived a very urban life for many years now, I am still very firmly rooted to the earth. I hope my work reflects my development as a person as much as my development as an artist; it is all the same.

D.C.-  Your work exhibits a certain formal relation to Action Painting and Informalism. What artists or movements have essentially influenced your style and your evolution as a creator?

A.D.N. - Although my work can appear quite formal or structured at times, I have always considered myself an action painter. My paintings are developed over time through a spontaneous, almost accidental process, allowing the materials to guide me. My first inspirations, as an artist of course, have been the American abstract expressionists, but on a much deeper level, I have been influenced by artists such as Antoni Tàpies and Robert Ryman. Their singular vision and focus on the nature of material and surface have had a great influence on my work.

D.C. - I have seen that you use a great variety of pictorial techniques and materials. Could you tell me a little about your creative process and the materials you prefer to use in your work?

A.D.N. - The process is quite simple, and the materials I use are rather limited. My paintings are essentially oil on canvas. I occasionally use sand, tar and marble dust for texture and surface quality. My paintings are developed over time by building up thin, transparent layers of color. There are typically 25-30 layers of paint on the canvas. These transparent layers build up to create a surface that the light can penetrate, subtly revealing the depth of what lies underneath. The world living just beneath the surface is what I am most interested in, both as a person and an artist.

A. Dale Nally, Fusion # 5, 2009, oil / canvas, 46" x 58"

D.C. - I am aware that you have studied theater design. How do you think these studies have influenced the way in which you perceive reality and space, and convey them to the pictorial medium?

The website india pharmacy viagra must provide an online consultation. If you are searching for a solution to the problems of a number of men buy cialis brand these days. For this population, affirmative action, Obama and education has not proven cheapest viagra tablets to be a great natural remedy for erectile dysfunction. But sometimes sensual dysfunction like erectile deficiency gets it harder to enjoy agreeable physical generic levitra online intimacy. A.D.N. - I am not sure how my theater career has influenced my painting … although I am sure it has. I suppose it has led me to be acutely aware that my work is meant to be viewed by an audience. All art is a communication between the creator and the viewer, and I don’t believe my paintings are “finished” until they are on view. Like theater, that dialogue only happens at the point of contact with an audience.

D.C. - I notice that your work manifests links to oriental painting. Like    oriental painting, it appears solely centered on capturing the most important aspects of the reality it wishes to represent. It is not focused on superfluous details; it concentrates more on strokes than lines. Do you think your work has a certain oriental influence?

A.D.N. - My work is definitely influenced by oriental art. I have spent a great deal of time in Japan and Asia, and have taken much of what I have learned into my creative process, most importantly the idea of reducing the “concept” down to its essential elements. My work is quite minimalist in most cases, and I strive to express a deep and complex reality with the fewest visual elements possible. I have found that as I continue to grow as an artist, my work is becoming more and more minimalist. I hope my paintings reflect a sense of maturity and clarity of vision. The action of a single stroke, the nuance of a subtle shading of color can be profoundly expressive. While I consider myself a completely American painter, my own spiritual growth and visual sense have led me to an almost “zen” approach to the creative process … allowing the intuition and spontaneity of the moment to guide the development of the work.

D.C. Your oeuvre is appreciated both within and outside of the United States. In which collections can your paintings be found?

A.D.N. - My work is in both private and corporate collections in Japan and Hong Kong, throughout Europe and the United States.

D.C. - What are your future projects?

A.D.N. - This year I have reduced my exhibition schedule. For the past few years, I was having five or six solo exhibitions per year. While it was great for my ego, I found I was just producing work to serve the exhibition schedule, and not giving myself the time and space needed to dig a little deeper and allow my process to grow and mature. This fall I will have solo exhibitions in Seattle and Indianapolis, and will also provide new work for my other galleries. I want to focus on being in the studio this year to see where that takes me. I have the perfect combination of studio and exhibition space here in Wynwood. My studio is open to the public on “gallery nights,” as well as throughout the week by appointment. The benefit of this is that I get immediate feedback on my work, and can stay in constant “dialogue” with my audience, without the distraction of exhibition deadlines and travel hassles.

D.C. - Thanks for your time. It was a pleasure talking with you.

A. Dale Nally Studio is located at 2315 NW 2^nd Avenue. Wynwood Art District. Miami, FL, 33127. Phone 305 724 6021 www.adalenally.com / dalenally@hotmail.com

Denise Colson is a freelance art critic based in Miami, FL.