The latest chapter in Nic Joly's visual narrative, aptly titled The Writing's On The Wall, harnesses the public candour of street art within the refinement and safe space of art.
NIC JOLY THE WRITING’S ON THE WALL
The latest chapter in Nic Joly’s visual narrative, aptly titled The Writing’s On The Wall , harnesses the public candour of street art within the refinement and safe space of fine art. Balancing stylised subtlety with inarguably bold – at times, didactic-instruction, Nic delivers again with his recognisable punch of humour. Track back through Nic’s previous collections, and whilst the subject matter has varied tremendously throughout, his message has remained resolute and unchanging: speak aloud that which you only dare to think. Nic urges us, through his miniaturist world, to strive for authenticity in how we relate to those around us. He muses: “ All collections learn from their predecessors – what has gone before shapes and influences what comes next. ” Indeed, the lineage of this collection is clear to see: One Day I’ll Be Big, his debut collection, seems now prophetic; Light & Dark gave us Nic’s first foray into wordplay; Being Human addressed the flaws that make us who we are, and Life’s A Carnival gently urged us not to waste energy fighting the madness around us, but to embrace it. Much like the graffiti we all walk past on a daily basis, Nic uses the art that hangs on the walls of his collectors’ homes to bring his message into the public forum. It is both a means of broadcasting the lessons he’s learned (some, in arguably the hardest of ways), as well as a
constant affirmation to stay busy, keep positive and trust in the intent of others to do likewise. In his typically truthful style, we are taken into Nic’s confidence in viewing ‘The Black Dog’, a name famously coined by Winston Churchill to characterise the darker periods he experienced. This resonated with Nic, particularly that an individual renowned for his strength of character and robust leadership could ever be susceptible, about which he says: “For those of us who suffer this affliction, I wanted to create a reminder that we can keep The Dog at bay, no matter how big he seems sometimes.” The Writing’s On The Wall represents somewhat of a milestone, as Nic calculates he is approaching the 10,000 hour mark since he began to work full time as an artist. He says: “I never thought that the work I’m doing now, would one day be my career.” Beginning his working life in a jewellery workshop at the age of eighteen, Nic later progressed to crafting handmade furniture before his hobby for creating tiny people slowly metamorphosed from something adored by his children, to an art form in its own right. Addressing his self-titled ‘wilderness years’, Nic now commits to making up for the time lost and, to him, what better and more validating than to have something tangible to show at the end of the day: “I’ve always been a ‘maker’. I love the skill of teasing something from nothing; it’s f*****g alchemy!”
THE DECLARATION OF | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 54cm x 54cm
If I had been a street artist I think I would have only wanted to remind people of the love in the world, we don’t say it enough, let’s light it up…
To master how to write freehand with a spraycan on this scale has taken so much trial and error, my studio is filled with pieces of paper with love on them, but this one was the only one that really worked.
GLASS HALF FULL | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 112.5cm x 56cm
Life is too short to not live to the full. All we need are good friends, good food and a good bottle of wine, and suddenly we are reminded that the only way to be is to live with a glass half full attitude.
This piece was 3 months on the bench. I just kept on needing to add more people and narrative to the words with the scenes going on around the saying. This is one of the few pieces that I want… It should be hanging on my kitchen wall….
ABOUT TIME | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 66cm x 66cm
If we could go back in time and tell our former selves a gem of truth, surely this is what we would write on the wall.
When I started making the DeLorean for this piece I had no idea how long it would take. I kept getting it wrong but had to carry on because the idea was in my head. I used some wheels from an old car I had as a child to remind me of the time that has passed since I used to play with toys. The building is modelled on an old house one of my friends lived in, made from wood and plaster.
“I’ve always been a ‘maker’. I love the skill of teasing something from nothing; it’s f*****g alchemy!” - Nic Joly
WE’VE GOT TOO | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 54cm x 54cm
We all have no choice in the world we live in but to embrace the fact that love will always prevail.
The stones and sand used in this piece are taken from one of my favourite places in Cornwall where I spent one of the first weekends with my now wife 15 years ago. I hand-cut and painted all the flowers and plants from paper.
SAY IT LIKE IT IS | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 71.5cm x 71.5cm
If Romeo had been a street artist then this is what he would have written below Juliet’s window.
As with the other graffiti pieces in my new collection, I wanted to create a small world. The building in this piece is made from too many different materials to name. I used everything from wood to old watch wind up mechanisms to make the balustrades on the balconies.
YOU AND ME | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 54cm x 54cm
When you have found that someone in your life who in that moment makes you feel alive the world seems like you could rule the world together and make history in a timeless way. I wanted to celebrate that feeling with this piece.
The chairs in this piece are made from thin watch maker’s wire, they took me too long to get right!
“The more you do something, the better you get. Based on some rough calculations, I must be approaching my 10,000 hours mark, which is staggering. I never thought that the work I’m doing now, would one day be my career.” - Nic Joly
THE BLACK DOG AND I | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 54cm x 54cm
When Winston Churchill first came up with the name ‘The Black Dog’ for his depression, it stuck. For those of us who suffer this affliction, I wanted to create a reminder that we can keep The Dog at bay, no matter how big he seems sometimes.
I carved the dog in this piece from plaster with a frame of wire. Much like how I carve my little people but bigger.
ROBOT WISDOM | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 71.5cm x 71.5cm
The road we are on as the human race is in so many ways messing up the planet we live on. We need to be reminded sometimes of the problems we are making for ourselves in the future. Who better to remind us than R2D2 and C3PO… I am of the Star Wars generation and looked up to the wisdom in the films when I was growing up. I wanted to pay homage to that with this piece, and also imagine the characters really saying it like it is and not holding back. If you look in the right-hand building you will see pieces of some old Star Wars toys that I played with as a child. This piece is one of the sculptures in this new collection that has really taken me a long time. I want- ed to create a real sense of a small world, a world to get lost in, using carved wood, plaster, card, paint, old watch parts, old toy pieces, the list goes on...
THE ACT OF CREATION | Original Wall Sculpture | Framed 81cm x 81cm
When we fall and are in love it is a magic time. We are essentially creating something from nothing, we are creating bonds and feelings that will stay with us all of our lives. This is a pure act of creation in my book.
This piece is made using some of the first pallets I ever used many years ago when I started painting, carving and creating. The piece took me 4 months to complete, I wanted to create a real sense of people working towards an ultimate statement.
LIMITED EDITION ARTWORKS
MAKING IT REAL Hand Made Limited Edition Wall Sculpture of 190 | Framed 49cm x 49cm | £895
As I get older, it becomes more and more apparent what is important in life. We all deserve happiness, and we all need to strive to make it a reality every day. While happiness can never be a permanent arrangement in our lives as there is always something to test us, we can have many moments on our journey as long as we keep our eyes open to it. Spread the word, shout about it, be as happy as f**k as much as you can.
This piece was made using hand-sprayed, cut-out letters, with a cut-out ladder in birchwood. The figures are made from bronze, with individual tissue paper dresses made for each one.
THE RULE OF THREE Hand Made Limited Edition Wall Sculpture of 190 | Framed 56cm x 56cm | £1,150
Life is about engaging with the world around us. Being a father to two growing boys has made me question the lessons I need to pass on to them. Life is all about living to your maximum potential, letting love in and spreading it to others – never losing the sparkle in our lives that is dreaming about what can be. I wanted to create a piece that will remind the viewer every day what is important. This piece uses hand-cut and painted letters and hand-painted and cast balloons and wooden ladders. Plus there are real paint tubes left over from my studio and hand-painted and dressed bronze figures.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Hand Made Limited Edition Wall Sculpture of 50 | Framed 64cm x 83cm | £2,250
When Ian Dury – a singer and songwriter – first coined this phrase in 1977, he had no idea what it would become. It is a phrase that suggests hedonism and living to the max, and this is how many people see it. But it is also about never compromising on life. Live your own way, live on the edge and take more from life than a simple 9-to-5 existence. This is one of my favourite boutique editions to date. This piece uses hand-cut and painted letters, real Viagra, hand-painted and finished money, and a large pile of carved and sculpted ‘cocaine’. The cocaine takes days to complete and uses seven different types of dust, from stone to powdered glass.
“I star ted at 18, working in a jewellery workshop, and that grounding shaped how I work today. Making, thinking, and creating – all at the same time. I’m very lucky to have found a vehicle in the little people I make that allows me to work in a way that I love.” - Nic Joly
The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection.To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. ©Washington Green 2019.The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission. washingtongreen.co.uk
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