For those who have followed Nic’s career with Castle since his 2014 debut, the journey that he has undertaken as an artist is clear to see, and testament to his utter integrity and lack of artifice as a person. This has been a constant since the first days of Nic’s art gracing the walls of our galleries, however what has changed is his confidence in his message. It is still self-deprecating, sure, but it is now bolder and less apologetic. Nic’s view is that: “All collections learn from their predecessors - what has gone before shapes and influences what comes next.” The benefit of hindsight allows us to chart Nic’s changing tone through the back catalogue of his work. His inaugural release, One Day I’ll Be Big , was suffused with his inimitable humour and fondness for the risqué, but it didn’t penetrate into the deeper and more conversational content that we began to see later from the
artist. Its successor, Light & Dark , marked Nic’s first foray into wordplay and arguably his first attempt to converse with his audience rather than solely to amuse. The transition was one of a stand-up comedian relying less on his one-way material, having developed the confidence to go off-script and ad lib while engaging directly with members of the audience. Then came Being Human , a collection of five boutique editions that centred around five extremely human themes: dreams, love, temptation, disown and evolution. Having now established a dialogue with his viewers, this collection had the feeling of wanting us to join each other in acknowledgement of our shared goals and acceptance of our shared fears, so that we might all grow together in the right direction. Life’s A Carnival , Nic’s 2018 collection, has the appearance of being created by a man totally at peace with himself. This chapter in Nic’s
visual narrative urges us to see the world for what it is and embrace its madness; learn to laugh at that which may have previously reduced you to tears, and reclaim the power from whatever fear or frustration holds you in its grip. approach The Writing’s On The Wall with fresh eyes. Viewed in the context of the timeline we’ve just explored, this is the work of an artist who now has the self- belief to stand front and centre and announce his thoughts and feelings to the world. In creating tableaus that mimic street scenes, he has harnessed the candour of graffiti to create the illusion that he is sharing this part of himself with the general public. He explains: “You can use it [graffiti] to say anything you like, and I wish everyone had that freedom. Every day, people hold back from saying the things they could - and should - and it’s a sad thing.” Finding ourselves now at the end of memory lane, we
A Little Banksy Hand Made Studio Edition Wall Sculpture | Edition of 190 Framed Size 55.5cm x 55.5cm £1,950 Framed
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