Nick Fagan’s work serves as a material reaction to his experiences with mental health, disability, religion, and labor.
His personal history informs his content, which spans topics such as the spirituality of mundane objects, ritual and transformation, the abstraction of language, and the humor and duality of masculinity.
Grounded in a drawing practice and driven by an interest in additive and subtractive sculptural processes, Fagan’s work often begins with meticulous research into found materials. He combines playful experimentation with a system of rules and formulas to guide his process. This material research uncovers a deeper history of otherwise common objects. Traces of physical activity, like scratches on a fragment of hardwood floor or stains on a used moving blanket, infuse these materials with a record that transcends individual experiences or specific moments. By seeking beauty in practical and utilitarian objects, Fagan’s practice serves as a conduit for viewing material history through a spiritual lens. Referencing religious sacrament and ritual, he perceives the potential for materials to transform from the banal to the divine, revealing a grander narrative than that of the individuals who may have used or interacted with them under practical conditions.
Language in Fagan’s work exists along a spectrum of abstraction, ranging from somewhat readable text to a jumble of unrecognizable forms that mimic the aesthetics of letters or numbers but remain completely illegible. This abstraction reflects his experience with dyslexia and his perception of language as a confusion of symbols. The transformation of text-like forms into abstract shapes embeds them with other cultural signifiers, relating to cartoons and animation, Gilded Age architecture and ornament, and the phallic image. Through playful, cartoonish curves, flaccid forms, and soft colors on a larger-than-life scale, Fagan references manhood by exploring the duality of strength and humility. By delving into his personal history and reflecting on spirituality, religion, language, disability, and masculinity, he investigates the tensions between the personal and the public. His use of banal materials connects his specific personal identity to the broader public history.
