Nick Black interviewed by Emily Aldene of PSG One

Your art is a lot about Hawaii. Where you born there?
I moved to Hawaii when I was one. My father was in the Army and my mother worked for the local paper writing articles about famous people who visited the islands. I lived in Washington D.C. and Thailand when I was young for a couple of years, but after that I haven’t know much different from Hawaii.

The sea, locations and the Hawaiian life style seem to be big influences in your art and life. Tell me about that.
I was lucky to hang out at the old wooden Outrigger Canoe Club in the heart of Waikiki beach when I was young. Duke Kahanamoku was still alive and well back then. My mother was usually interviewing people in one of the legendary hotels on the beach in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian or the Moana Surfrider. We would go surfing on these gigantic red Outrigger surfboards. Once you experience the waves underneath your feet and realize even at an early age, that the weather is always beautiful and the ocean is always free, you will never want to leave Hawaii.

How did you first get interested in doing art?
I’ve always liked to draw. When I was young gong to school I would be one of those students would draw during my studies, usually on the desk.

When did you go from desk drawing to serious artist?
When I was a junior in high school, I took an art class. In those days I played sports and was happy to be getting by with B’s & C’s but the dean would always have an extra course for me to take for academics. But Art class was like taking PE. Mr. Walden, the art teacher saw that I was motivated and so he got me into the art department. From there I decided to pursue Art more seriously in college.

You have a Masters in Fine Art, so you must have done quite a bit of traditional studio work. Can you tell us more about that?
I believe that figure drawing is the basis for being able to draw well. Figure drawing from a live model allows to me to practice the hand to eye dexterity needed to draw what I see when you see it. Drawing with other artist challenges the met to draw well because if you draw any portion of the body wrong or not just right, everyone can do it. Drawing the figure, you can not lie. Here are some of the recent figure drawing done at the University of hawaii the past year.

Have you ever done any one man art shows in fine art galleries?
As a matter of fact I’ve done a few in the past and may well do some more in the future.

Rough Water Swim- 1994
Frame Shack Gallery

These were a series of painting and etchings depicting the Waikiki Roughwater Swim that draws swimmers from all over the world. The race starts at the beautiful Kai’mana Beach, home of the famous “Hau Tree Lanai”.

Monday Morning Manoa - 1997
Boom Gallery

“...Black’s work is essentially attractive and done with skillful draftsmanship. It is a shame Black’s ideas behind his work, a welcome inquiry into the kinds of social conflicts that local folks are loathe discussing openly, are not readily apparent to the casual viewer.”

Review - Honolulu Advertiser Sunday, August 17, 1997
Deb Aoki

WaikikiBabylon- 1999
Boom Gallery at Indigo

“...These are not “pretty “ pictures. rather, they are richly realistic views of Waikiki. ....There is as much concrete as sand in Black’s vision of Waikiki, which, after all, is the reality of what Hawaii’s most famous beach has become.”

Review - Honolulu Advertiser Sunday,April 25, 1999
Virginia Wageman

Dead Reckoning- 2000
Gordon Biersch

This was a series of painting and etchings of the voyages of double hull Hawaiian sailing canoes. The Polynesian Voyaging Society was established to keep the ancient navigation traditions of the Hawaiians for future generations to come.

Are you currently working on any projects?
Yes, I’m currently working on a paddle board race from Hawaii Kai around Diamond Head and ending at the Kai’mana Beach that will take place in August. I’m doing a woodcut for the t-shirt and it should be an exciting race since it is the Scenic Hawaii Presents the Hawaii Paddle Board Championships.