The attraction of abstraction is what motivates local artist Nathan Van Brunt. “The colors are the main characters who interact with each other in many different ways,” says Van Brunt. “Some stand out and others you barely notice.
It’s the combination of those colors and values that work together to hopefully express something interesting. It’s so fun to play and try to choose colors that feel a bit uncomfortable together and don’t necessarily abide by the rules of color theory to add some interest.” Van Brunt creates vibrantly colored abstract works that create a sense of motion with their clusters of repetitive squares, shapes or perfectly straight lines.
Some of his works seem almost like optical illusions. The works in his recent “Stack” series, for instance, layer repetitive vertical lines in stripes of contrasting colors in a way that mesmerizes and keeps the viewer’s eye constantly in motion. Though he grew up in rural Minnesota, Van Brunt currently resides in Rochester.
Now 47, he first got interested in art when he was in high school. Eventually, he studied art at Bethel University in St. Paul.
“I minored in art in college and spent a lot of time in the painting studio and loved working side by side with other artists,” says Van Brunt. “My painting professor, Dale R. Johnson, was a great mentor and incredible artist.
” Van Brunt says his time studying art at Bethel was invaluable: “My professors had a huge influence on me and helped to te.
