

Nathan Vernau  Chicago, IL


About Nathan

The need to communicate is important. Being heavily influenced by comic books and the stories I read as a child, the idea of sequence and narrative has become essential to my drawings. By animating my body language, using symbols, and adding text I create a visual conversation with the viewer and myself. The words, phrases, or lyrics that appear offer multiple interpretations and double meanings that signify an inability to effectively communicate with others.

The objects I include with my figure come from real and unreal places creating the imaginary landscape of my mind. Throughout the work these symbols touch on themes of instability, insecurity, confusion and a misdirection of emotions. As self-portraits these drawings offer bits and pieces of my character, along with alternate identities or personas. By changing costumes there are different stages of confidence and inner conflict that I find myself in.

By drawing myself in self-deprecating poses I am able to temporarily rid myself of anxiety and overwhelming thoughts. My artwork chronicles my life cycling through frustration, happiness, confusion, and disappointment. Specific, personal experiences that can be universally relatable act as the stimulus for my drawings. As a verbally inhibited person my work has become the most direct and honest way for me to express the emotions and feelings that occupy my mind.

Nathan appears in the following Top 10 lists




10 of 13 reactions displayed

"Nice paintings. They are well constructed and thought out, but have an unexpected freshness."

"The first picture remains me of shedding unnecessary baggage and aquiring a freedom from doing so. However, it seems the freedom of moving on from the past comes with it's own issue- the ability to 'remember' the past. The second piece seems as though the subject is somewhat burdened by an opressive but vague figure-maybe not a completely known figure but seemingly male. I like the symbolism. Nice work. Keep it up."

"very cool"

"The artist's commentary on his work enhances the viewing experience. I'm sorry to hear that such a talented artist has to deal with anxiety and overwhelming thoughts. I hope Nathan doesn't believe that he needs to be in this kind of a mental state to create art, that can be a slippery slope of insanity."

"the art is awesome its very enteresting"

"Echoes of Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase no. 2 (1912), Edweard Muybridge and other work that attempts to show the simultanaeity of various discrete moments."

"......crazy diamond....."

"I kinda like this."

"First one leaves me cold. Looks incomplete and strange. Second one holds some interest. More complicated. Has it's own sence of quality. Just not my favorite type of art or colors."

"this is a weird picture i thought i was going to get something better than this but thanks!"

Leave a comment

Previous artist

artistaday instagram artistaday pinterest