Through a universal visual language, my paintings are fables created to communicate moral lessons about how we treat the world in which we exist. Fables are timeless devices to deliver, in a simple manner, what can be understood and enjoyed by viewers of all ages. The fable is one of the oldest and most lasting method of storytelling that is easily communicated through fictional examples with the main characters being plants, animals, birds, and insects. These non-human characters exist as human-like entities but still retain their own characteristics giving purpose to why they are chosen for my narratives. For example, the bee symbolizes new beginnings, hard work, and wisdom. Hares are associated with the circle of life, and by extension, with spring, renewal, and immortality. Fawns represent the innocence and purity of youth.
[Galka]
Carol Corey Fine Art is pleased to announce its inaugural exhibition of work by Nathaniel Aric Galka, opening on Saturday, May 4, 2024, with an artist’s reception from 5 to 7 pm, the show will consist of new paintings and works on paper.
Galka's paintings are exquisitely executed depictions of fantastical worlds filled with stylized flora and fauna. The viewer is first struck by their light and beauty, their jewel-like surfaces and deft rendition. But closer examination reveals a darker side to the Edenic imagery. Galka’s work is also about what we, as a civilization, are doing to ourselves and to our planet. “My paintings imply how the human hand is creating a false ecosystem and destroying our planet, starting in our own backyards,” states the artist. “We are taking away what is indigenous and replacing it with ‘ornamental’ plantings. We are destroying the natural order of our own landscape. I am creating ‘post-human gardens’, works about how nature will reclaim its balance once we are no longer here manipulating our planet.” The title of this exhibition, “a world between worlds…” is a poignant message, a warning that we need to look more closely at the minutia in nature, those tiny environments that make up the natural world, and not overlook their importance.
The paintings are filled with historical art and cultural references. One sees Asian influences such as screenpainting and woodblock prints from Korea and China, along with the introspective minimalist works of Buddhist art. Also evident is his love for historical Shintoism floral paintings of 17th-century Japan and the cultural aesthetic of ikebana (Japanese flower arranging). There are also allusions to western European art including the still life paintings of the Netherlands and 19th century Romanticism.
Galka’s works are constructed using Old Masters techniques. Marble plaster gesso is applied to linen wrapped panels. He then paints in oil (sometimes enamel). Shellac India ink is applied with a dipped pen to create calligraphic references towoodblock prints. The final painting is then varnished with two coats of Damar varnish and three coats of hand-polished bleached wax to finish the surface. Galka’s desire in the final paintings is that they feel as if they are historical fragments with a storied place in time.
Nathaniel Aric Galka was born near Chicago. In 1998, he received his BFA in Fine Art (with a focus on traditional, classical painting), from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, OH. He obtained his MFA from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL in 2001. Galka has shown with the Kai Lin Gallery in Atlanta and Leila Heller Gallery in New York, among others. His work is held in many public and private collections, including The Hope Center, Asheville NC, Hilton Hotel Downtown, Columbus OH, The Greater Columbus Convention Center Art Collection, Columbus OH, The Pentagon Building, Washington DC, Tennessee State Capital Building, Nashville TN, Pilot Oil, Knoxville, TN, The Oak Ridge Art Center, Oak Ridge TN, and Coca-Cola, Atlanta GA.
For further information and additional images, please contact the gallery at 917-797-9654, or carol@coreyfineart.com
