Paul Nitsche artist

Crossing Swords

in

Crossing swords, my second tintype, was sculpted over the summer and fall of 2021, and finally photographed a year later on July 31, 2022. During the time of its creation, I was thinking about union, division, and civil war. The skeletons were fabricated out of Epoxy Sculpt, resin, and acrylic paint. The miniature sword props were made from steel, aluminum, wood, and acrylic paint. The Hoplite sword was chosen for its graceful leaf shaped blade and Greek origins. Greece, being the cradle of democracy.

The sculpture was photographed with my 8x10 Korona View camera and Darlot barrel lens, Paris, FR, circa 1860. Invaluable assistance was again provided by photographer Eric Baillies, who opened his studio, darkroom, and collodion skills to me.

Crossing Swords
2022. 8x10.
Tintype of an original sculpture. Photographed with an 1860s Darlot lens.

Hi-Fructose Emerging Artists and Art Grant

in

I am excited to announce that I will be featured with 15 other artists in a special insert section in the January 2017 print issue Hi-Fructose, a contemporary art magazine with international distribution. Along with being published, they were also kind enough to give me a $1000 artist grant.

The artists were selected from submissions through Ello, the Creators Network, and were curated by Hi-Fructose Founders & Editors in Chief Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert & Annie Owens-Seifert.

Please view all of the selected artists HERE.

Thank you so much to Hi-Fructose, Ello, Attaboy and Annie, and all the artists who reached out to me during the selection process.

Special Edition of Dazzling Killmen's "Face of Collapse"

in

I am excited to announce a special edition of Dazzling Killmen's "Face of Collapse". As some of you may know, I did the illustration and design for this release in 1994. The special edition features a new illustration by myself that is silk screened on side four of the double record set. This special edition has been in the works for some time, and I want to thank Skin Graft, Mark Fischer, and the Dazzling Killmen for making it happen.

 

The Skin Graft Records 25th Anniversary Release announcement:

DAZZLING KILLMEN "Face of Collapse" Special Edition
Gatefold Double LP and Book / CD / Ultimate Edition
- out November 11th, 2016

Order: http://www.skingraftrecords.com/shop.html
Read about: http://www.skingraftrecords.com/news_desk.html
Bandcamp: http://skingraftrecords.bandcamp.com

Gatefold Double Vinyl Special Edition Contents:
* Brand new restoration from the original analog tapes
by Blake Fleming and Jason McEntire of Sawhorse Studios (Recording & Mixing Facility). Recorded and engineered by Steve Albini.

* Second LP includes bonus tracks on Side Three:
“Medicine Me”, “Poptones” (Public Image Ltd. cover) and “My Lacerations” (alternate version). Collects every studio track recorded by the quartet version of the band.

* Side Four features new artwork from cover artist Paul Nitsche silk-screened directly onto the vinyl.

* Large 16-page book, measuring 12” x 12”, with liner notes from Aaron Burgess (former editorial director of Alternative Press), a new oral history of the album from Hank Shteamer (senior editor, music, RollingStone.com) and artwork and comics from Mark Buckheit, Mark Fischer, Paul Nitsche, Miles Rutlin and Rob Syers.

* Full color Gatefold Sleeve includes removable obi with color mini-poster printed on the reverse side. Entire contents come packaged in a crystal-clear resealable overbag.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ultimate Edition" includes all of the above, PLUS:
--------------------------------------------------------------------

* DAZZLING KILLMEN "Face Of Collapse Compact Disc
(catalog # GR12CD)

* Full Color DAZZLING KILLMEN / SKiN GRAFT Records
25th Anniversary Poster (11" x 17")

TRACK LISTING:
Staring Contest / Bone Fragments / My Lacerations Blown (Face Down) / Windshear / Painless One / In The Face Of Collapse / Agitator

VINYL ONLY BONUS TRACKS:
Medicine Me / Poptones / My Lacerations (alternate)

DAZZLING KILLMEN were:
Nick Sakes, Darin Gray, Blake Fleming, Tim Garrigan

The Ephemeral Knot

in

Figure Seventeen.- The Ephemeral Knot
2015-2016. 7”h x 19.5”w x 10.5”d.
Bronze, Wood, Resin, Acrylic, Gold leaf, Silk, Hardware.

Something akin to a Memento Mori, The Ephemeral Knot is a sculpture depicting the bridge between youth and death. The child's hand grasps a clavicle bone, the first bone to begin the process of ossification. The clavicle can be regarded as ancient in terms of the body, and here represents time's passing as well as the end of life. The red silk bow is tied around three extensor muscles: Extensor Digitorum, Extensor Digiti Minimi, and Extensor Carpi Ulnaris. These muscles, in general, function to extend the fingers and wrist. Their role here is to illustrate release, a letting go of life. The knot, or bow within this piece, represents life. The loosening of a knot could be seen as the unraveling of existence. Interestingly, the silk bow will be the first component of this piece to decay, as the rest of the materials are far more time stable. Lastly, the snail, with its coiled shell, is another reference to journey and purity.

I wanted to give a special word of thanks to Nova Hansen, who was so willing to participate in the original life casting. Thank you as well to her parents, Leif and Rebekah Hansen. All photographs are by William Lemke.