Daniel J Nutt

Daniel Nutt was born in 1994 in Lagrange, IL. Nutt received his  his BA is Studio Arts from Grand View University, in 2017 and in 2021 he received his MFA in Integrated Visual Arts From Iowa State University.  He has had solo exhibitions at the Viaduct Gallery, Des Moines, IA, and the Main St. Gallery, Ames, IA. Along with group exhibitions at the Anderson Gallery, Des Moines, IA.  Nutt has recently relocated his Art practice to the Milwaukee Area.

For the last six years of my life I have defined myself through my relationship to my longboard. It is an extension of me and always with me. My attachment to my longboard is so strong that sometimes when I walk, I wind up tripping because I have spent more time skating. Skating is my commodity of choice it allows me to move swiftly through a space, lessening the amount of time I spend in transit compared to walking. I even go so far as to use Handicap buttons and elevators to avoid getting off my board. Why do we ascribe so much value to our commodities, to our every day material items that define our identity, and affect the way we interact with others? Why is society a social relationship between people mediated by materials? For the last couple years I have striven in my ability to create abstract paintings centered on stylistic noise. I hit this point where each rendition and attempt I made, while more beautiful than the last, just seemed empty to me. I’d finish a piece and in my mind, I’d sit there and ask myself, is that all? I had defined myself as a painter and artist because I had the acrylic, and oil paints, and all the mediums I could use to create beautiful images. Would I still be an artist, would I still be a skater, would I still be a gamer, with out these material facets reinforcing my internal cognitive monument? Given the right amount of money, anybody can reinvent his or her own identity. Do the items and commodities we own determine who we are capable of being or do we choose the items that best align with our personal beliefs, and forms of expression? My interest in commodities and their ability to build and define an individual is the subject I will continue to explore as I develop as an artist. Through deconstruction, replication, and reconstruction of personal commodities I speak to the larger question of why we ascribe such value to the objects in our life. Do we let them dictate our way of life, or do we maintain control? 

Daniel J Nutt attended the Drake University, and is finishing his Undergraduate degree at Grand View University. Daniel's work has been featured in several shows at Drake University and has also been published by periphery their literary and artistic magazine. He was worked with screen prints since 2010 and plans to integrate it into his current textile work. 

For more information on Dan J Nutt's work, Commissions, or public art events feel free to contact him at danjnutt@yahoo.com

The external manifestation of internalized emotions: cutting, pinning, stretching and sewing fabrics together, the process calluses the tips of my fingers reflecting my heart after my surreal journey. Anchoring the Fabric over a topographical map created from my recycled materials express the tension my individuality feels as it stretches and adapts over each ridge and valley. Each textile I use is charged with good, bad and ugly memories. Using labels and pockets from clothesI convey the labels we take from others and what we choose to carry with us.Sewing these fabrics together speaks to my own meticulous nature. The individual islands mark different chapter of my life, perhaps unconnected at first, brought together into a larger picture over time. My paintings become reflections of personal development, and the impact of intimate relationships on identity. The irregular format, the play with color and tension in the fabrics, conveys my own abstract understanding of life and the path we take. 

Many of my concerns deal with battling the idea of viewing  myself and other individuals as a commodified object. By Repurposing my old clothes I attempt to reclaim the idea of surface appearance, and speak the the depth held behind our individual fabricated shells.

Daniel J Nutt has showed many of his paintings in the local Des moines Area. His paintings manifest themselves in bouts of abstraction. Creating push and pull threw paint and transparency to create large complex images leaving the viewer lost in a sea of color. Daniel Layers different stylistic elements to create these loud color fields. The Paintings are reflection of the complex space and time we live in. Daniel is a firm believer that, humanity is always dictated by the complexities of the space and time in which they reside. His art is a mirror and a gateway to examine the complex forms that society has taken. 

Spacial concerns

this piece was created through 7 different multi part sand molds then cast in aluminum. While this was a piece for personal exploration, Im versed in a multitude of different mold making techniques.


Skating and Breaking

Skating is by far my favorite thing in the whole world and for this piece I created a 2 part rubber mold of my personal long board. The board cast in plater was painted to be a replica. After the test ride, however the replica broke. the process was documented with the help of friends

Using Format