About 150 drawings comprise Nathanael Roney’s exhibit “Take me out,” currently on display at Harvest Records in West Asheville. The sheer volume of work is impressive and when viewed as a whole, the mass of drawings tells a compelling story as strange and beautiful as each individual piece.
Xpress readers may already be familiar with Roney’s work; he regularly illustrates the “Junker’s Blues” column and has illustrated many fine covers. His drawings might best be described as “anti” contour drawings, as the confidently rendered lines run against the natural contours of his subjects, for a stylized effect that is oddly disarming and expressively gooey. Literally these are “twisted” drawings.
Using only a ball point pen, the simplicity of Roney’s medium exaggerates the curious quality of his subject matter, which ranges from baseball players, portraits of historical figures, monkeys, goats, soldiers and landscapes. The artist has drawn himself and his wife in many of the pictures — often in cheeky ways, such as the drawing where he appears as a minotaur. In another he stands contemplatively in front of a gravestone.
Peppered here and there are witty text and thought bubbles which poetically challenge the viewer’s experience.” Go ahead, look back” is written next to an image of Roney, looking over his shoulder — referencing the ultimate iconic rebel, Bob Dylan, subject of the film Don’t Look Back.
“He F--ks Me” is written over a barren landscape in one drawing, and in another drawing of the same landscape (with slightly differing shadows)“He F--s Me Not” is written. This is the kind of thing that is so refreshing about the show — moving through differing emotional textures, Roney doesn’t dumb down or compromise subject matter for his viewers. And his viewers appreciate that.
Xpress readers may already be familiar with Roney’s work; he regularly illustrates the “Junker’s Blues” column and has illustrated many fine covers. His drawings might best be described as “anti” contour drawings, as the confidently rendered lines run against the natural contours of his subjects, for a stylized effect that is oddly disarming and expressively gooey. Literally these are “twisted” drawings.
Using only a ball point pen, the simplicity of Roney’s medium exaggerates the curious quality of his subject matter, which ranges from baseball players, portraits of historical figures, monkeys, goats, soldiers and landscapes. The artist has drawn himself and his wife in many of the pictures — often in cheeky ways, such as the drawing where he appears as a minotaur. In another he stands contemplatively in front of a gravestone.
Peppered here and there are witty text and thought bubbles which poetically challenge the viewer’s experience.” Go ahead, look back” is written next to an image of Roney, looking over his shoulder — referencing the ultimate iconic rebel, Bob Dylan, subject of the film Don’t Look Back.
“He F--ks Me” is written over a barren landscape in one drawing, and in another drawing of the same landscape (with slightly differing shadows)“He F--s Me Not” is written. This is the kind of thing that is so refreshing about the show — moving through differing emotional textures, Roney doesn’t dumb down or compromise subject matter for his viewers. And his viewers appreciate that.
— Ursula Gullow, Mountain Xpress
See more. Hear more.
3 comments:
Good show, good show! You have been quite a busy man, Mr. Roney. So many pieces. I really liked the layout of the show, and how so many pieces were of a similar size. Also saw my portrait in the show! Did that one sell for millions?! Oooooo, and don't forget "Hot Sax" by Jsegertimeradio, nice touch.
makes me smile
good times my friends
Post a Comment