Brad Nelson

Brad Nelson concentrates on the human body in his work, because, as he explains, “it is the object in all human life that we are most familiar with.” Specifically, the artist is interested in depicting “the intersection of humanity’s self [conception] and the reality of the human form.” Though he was trained as a painter, he has become best known for his figural ceramic sculptures. He works in two styles: either replicating human proportions in a naturalistic way, or exaggerating them to the point of abjection. Nelson has made naturalistic series of works featuring female torsos and isolated feet in dance positions. His more exaggerated works are largely comprised of his “Pets” series (c. 2013), in which nude female forms are stretched into elaborate, impossible poses. Among the recurring themes in his work is the nature of attraction.