Queen off Arts, 2022
Nathan Paddison

This visually arresting artwork, heavily inspired by the Queen of Hearts from a deck of cards, offers a modern, abstract interpretation that both disrupts and celebrates traditional iconography. The painting presents mirrored images of a queen, each adorned with a simple crown and sharing the canvas symmetrically. The artist employs bold, expressive strokes and a limited yet striking palette dominated by red, black, white, and yellow. The queen's visage is painted with large, captivating eyes and rose-tinted cheeks, enveloped by a background of golden yellow. The vibrant red heart at the top left of the piece, juxtaposed against the monochrome clothing, amplifies the passionate symbolism associated with the Queen of Hearts. The bold and somewhat chaotic overlay of what appears to be the text "QUEEN OF HEARTS" introduces an intriguing element of graffiti-style disruption, lending a contemporary and rebellious edge to the piece. The artwork’s uneven texture and visible brushstrokes create a sense of rawness and urgency, capturing the viewer’s attention and evoking an emotional response. The deliberate, almost childlike simplicity in form and composition underscores a powerful sense of accessibility and relatability. This piece asserts itself not just as a portrait of a playing card queen, but as an exploration of identity and symbolism through a modern, abstract lens. In this intriguing convergence of order and disarray, the painting stands uniquely as a testament to the blending of traditional themes with modern artistic expression. It encapsulates a bold narrative of royalty, rebellion, and reinvention, demanding the viewer's engagement and reflection.

Self-taught Australian artist Nathan Paddison creates raw, emotive paintings in the tradition of art brut, graffiti and abstract expressionism. Drawing inspiration from what he describes as his difficult past, Paddison paints with urgency and physicality, placing dynamic, gestural brushstrokes and ecstatic shapes on his worn and roughly textured surfaces. Scattered scraps of text intermingle with hints of human bodies and natural forms, suggesting interrupted histories, disjointed places, or perhaps a recently abandoned crime scene. Embedded in this drama is a keen sense of humor and a vivid sense of the emotional power of color. Paddison mixes traditional fine art media such as acrylics and pastels with everyday materials such as newsprint and markers to achieve a fresh, energetic and undeniably contemporary visual language. An artwork by Jordy Kerwick sold for £85,000 at Phillips in London on March 4, 2022, after an estimate of £6,000. Both artists are from Australia and are self-taught. Recent auction result for Nathan Paddison is US$ 12,800 for the painting “Ease Ear Thai Gore” achieved at Ravenel Auction House in Taipei, Taiwan in december 2021. Surpassed in Spring 2022 also at Ravenel Auctions at USD 16,338 for one of the Tiger Paintings. Nathan Paddison, born 1983, is an artist whose works are all based on a sense of fun, self-expression and being himself without fear. He portrays subjects from his past, including his struggle with addiction, as well as pets and animals in his life. Paddison emphasizes color and energy, allowing the canvas to determine where the painting goes. He paints primarily with acrylics, but also uses enamels, pastels, markers, inks, oils, oil pencils. Nathan’s strong line and approach to palette meld closely with the physicality and urgency in which he works. The impatience and powerful language forming in Nathan’s work is akin to compulsion rather than task. FRANK FLUEGEL GALLERY has his works since 2021 for sale. Exhibitions: Art from the inside, 2019, group show Flourish 2019 group exhibition Naked&Nude 2019, manning valley regional gallery, finalists exhibition Sunset gallery solo exhibition, august 2019 Humble House Gallery Canberra, Solo exhibition. November/December 2020 Gosford regional gallery (group/finalists exhibition) Studio Gallery group exhibition Sydney 2020 Kangaroo Valley exhibition 2020, finalists exhibition Studio Gallery Melbourne 2020 Studio Gallery group exhibition Melbourne 2021 Incognito Art Show 2021 Studio Gallery Sydney 2021 Studio Gallery Cheltenham 2021 Solo exhibition 2021 space cowboy gallery – 2021 Naked&nude 2021 Manning Regional Studio Gallery Sydney 2021 The Kilgour Prize 2021 Art Gallery of Newcastle The Lester Prize Art Gallery of Western Australia 2021 (October now) Fresh paint art fair, Tell Aviv 2021 (now) Save the animals. National museum Taiwan, (October 25th – nov 1,2021