Mythos: Nicholas Blake
Dragon mythologies persist as cultural symbols worldwide, transcending borders and epochs. From the majestic, benevolent creatures of Eastern lore to the fierce, fire-breathing beasts of Western tales, dragons captivate the human imagination. In Chinese mythology, dragons symbolize power, wisdom, and prosperity, while European folklore often portrays them as formidable adversaries to be vanquished. Across cultures like Japanese, Norse, and Mesoamerican, dragons embody diverse meanings—guardians, creators, or harbingers of chaos. Their ubiquity underscores humanity’s shared fascination with the mystical and the unknown, weaving a tapestry of myth and legend that spans the globe.
The dragon, spanning cultures and imaginations, has become central to artist Nicholas Blake’s body of work featured in this exhibition. A young but prolific artist, Blake has demonstrated confidence and mastery of painting at only 13 years old. Self-taught, he founded his own aesthetic, embodying a youthful inquisitive and experimental spirit. Since he first took to art at 5 and found a sense of home working with painted canvases at 8, his obsession with the creatures and cultures of the world has come to take on new life within his work.
While often delving into the mythologies that shape these unique cultures across time and geography or even reconceiving the species that exist here on Earth, Blake has assembled his own taxonomy of serpentine, reptilian, and reality-defying dragons. While only having a few years under his belt, his personalized catalog of creatures has become prevalent throughout his ever growing body of work. Here, he combines the otherworldly with the primal energy of humanity. His personal explorations of other cultures, especially Japanese and South American cultures, intersect with his passion for zoology, offering us a glimpse into the unfettered originality of the human spirit often stifled over time.
In transcending cultural boundaries, Blake’s dragons stir the depths of human creativity. Drawing on the diversity of dragon lore, his paintings resonate with viewers on a universal level, tapping into primal archetypes and shared mythic imagery. Through his wild and expressive brushwork, he breathes life into these legendary creatures, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of wonder and fascination. The dragons in Blake’s paintings become more than mere fantastical beings; they encapsulate the essence of ingenuity itself—a boundless force that knows no limits. Gazing upon these majestic beasts, we are transported to realms where the impossible becomes possible.
Combining fantastical and subconscious realms in his portrayal of dragons, Blake engages his distinctive style of impulsive artmaking. Elaborate patterns of bold-colored scales are contrasted by mists of spray paint and thick gestural brushstrokes. These portraits embody enthusiasm and whimsy, as well as intensity and absurdity. He begins constructing complex worlds around his subjects, adding symbols and imagery to enhance the narratives of each dragon. Aquatic, terrestrial, airborne, metropolis, or even nightmarish dreamscapes all reveal Blake’s ability to challenge the limits of our minds through his vibrant recontextualization of dragons.
Dragons are creatures that enchant us in our youth and evolve into representations and vehicles for understanding the diversity and similarities that exist across the world. Nicholas Blake and his exhibition of dragon paintings invite us to rethink our perspectives on cultural divides by tapping into the whimsical, innocent, and creative parts of our spirit that we do not nurture as we grow older. Mythical creatures or symbols of our collective subconscious, we cannot help but be taken aback by the awe-inspiring beauty and infectious energy of his distinctive style, all while pondering the timeless mysteries of our cultural histories and the boundless realms of possibility that lie within the human psyche. Ultimately, Blake’s exhibition encourages us to embrace the magic of storytelling and embark on a journey of discovery long after we have left the painting-filled walls of the gallery.
