A war is being waged... The art of Dustin Nowlin
Eros - acrylic and oil on wood 24''x 36'' ; a piece featured in the march 12 exhibition.
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When many outsiders think of Collinwood they think of it as the setting for the 2002 movie Welcome to Collinwood, starring George Clooney. One resident sees it differently. Dustin Nowlin, a resident of the area since the age of 15, thinks the area is a breeding ground for young artists. He enjoys walking through the neighborhood with his dog Cabbie.
“Collinwood is ripe for new blood,” Nowlin said. “There needs to be more young artists.”
Nowlin, along with two other artists, plan to show off some of their talent with an exhibition called A War Within Our Hearts opening March 12, 2010 at the Doubting Thomas gallery on 856 Jefferson Ave in Tremont. During the opening night, 6-10 PM, there will be merchandise, as well as food and refreshments, available.
The opening, which is planned to coincide with the monthly Tremont Art Walk, will feature work from Nowlin, 23, as well Pamela Erhardt, 22, and Josh LoVullo, 19. Erhardt and LoVullo will contribute paintings and photos, respectively, while Nowlin will be the featured artist with about 20 varied pieces.
“I like doing three-dimensional stuff, but for the most part I’m a painter,” Nowlin said. “Mainly, for the show, it’s acrylics and oils.”
Nowlin, who studied art at the Cleveland Institute of Art and Cuyahoga Community College, describes his style as a form of barbarism. He has also been a tattoo artist since 2001 and currently works at Persistence Tattoo in Eastlake. Much of his tattoo work involves Eastern-looking images or nature. On his blog, Dustin is featuring a limited edition print of a tiger crossing a stream, done in a very Japanese pen and ink technique, but with a vivid orange tiger crossing an abstract blue stream. While this piece and many of his tattoo images are lifelike, much of his original acrylics are simple and childlike. He produces pieces using bare bones material and says that his main influence is Picasso.
“[Picasso] was an artist who just wanted to express himself,” Nowlin said. He also said Picasso’s way of life influenced him.
Nowlin sees the show as having a long term effect that goes beyond selling a few pieces of art. He wants to build upon the group of artists he knows and build a larger network and collaborate with other artists in the future. One his pieces called Girl with the Rose-colored Lips is actually a portrait of his friend Pam Erhardt, who shares this show with him. And he also has a special relationship with sculptor Jerry Schmidt, who has a studio and the Waterloo 7 gallery on Waterloo Road.
"Cleveland isn't really a city for buying art," Nowlin said. "I'm not really looking to sell out. I really just want to get some recognition for young artists."
As for those coming to see the show, Nowlin just hopes people coming in off of the streets enjoy the works on display. As long as people look closely and open their minds, Nowlin believes everyone can enjoy art.