Artists

Frank Nulf

Frank Nulf was born in Ohio in 1931, and received his MA from Michigan State University and a PhD in Comparative Arts from Ohio University. From 1960 to 1969 he taught as an associate professor of art at the State University of New York. In 1970 he moved to Canada to teach at the University of Regina. Nulf's works have been included in numerous surveys of contemporary art such as a retrospective at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the Dalhousie Art Gallery in Halifax. He is collected internationally.

Statement:

Though these pieces would seem to be an abrupt and dramatic departure from my usual work that is not at all the case. Over the years I have done many paintings on canvas with three dimensional forms imbedded within. This has been done to give the work a more physical presence and to disturb the flat two dimensional illusion of the painted surface. These forms have not been real or found objects but shapes that I have sewn together, stuffed and painted. Some have been rarely seen and many not at all. These current works are related to elements to be found in approaches to soft sculpture, readymades and found objects. It is clearly a visual and physical fact that a representation of a thing, in this case a shirt, is not the thing itself. Another way of saying it is that a painting or drawing of a shirt (or any object) that is hung on a wall is one thing but a shirt (or any object) that has been painted and hung on a wall is a completely different thing. The physical and aggressive nature of the object is of course a sculptural condition and attitude and the pleasure of the painted surfaces happens just because I cannot keep my hands off of it.

Frank Nulf