Nicholas Lucius is evolving . This evolution is exponential . In just two short years , there has been a distinct and obvious difference between pieces from his new series , Explicit Beauty , and pieces from 2014 . The art historical references are there . The colors akin to a “ hallucinatory rush of adrenaline ” are there . Yet , something is different . Before labeling those differences “ maturity ,” one must look closer .
In the 2016 piece , Bleached Beautiful , Lucius forces the viewer to focus on the fi gure and only the fi gure . Drawing from his art historical arsenal , he utilizes a “ classical female nude ”— probably one the viewer has seen a hundred times over in places already forgotten . She sits on a technicolor cloth against a background of erratic shading . She is recognizable yet nameless at the same time . With her face obscured by a patterned object , a motif seen repeatedly in Lucius ’ new work , the viewer must acquiesce that she cannot be identifi ed .
This unidentifi able woman is just out of reach . She is familiar , but also distant . The viewer is drawn to her , but the reasons for this gravitational pull are seemingly unknown . Is it her physical beauty ? Is it the alluring fascination with the unknown ? She is all of this and more .
37
Aptly titled Explicit Beauty , Lucius ’ new series invites the viewer on the same journey he is taking as an artist and as a human being . He is exploring feminine divinity and all the mystery and bewilderment that goes along with it . Lucius encourages the viewer to connect with the female fi gure on another level , a level far beyond that of sexual objectifi cation . He is once again straddling the divide between two worlds and , in his new work , the worlds are the secular and the divine .
Nicholas Lucius is enlightened . Drawing from his own personal exploration of human sexuality , he is shifting his own perspective and thereby shifting the viewer ’ s perspective . Early works spoke to his fascination with the male form . Pieces like Tempt me to Madness and artPOPIST have a distinctly voyeuristic approach . There is , at fi rst , curiosity , then participation , followed by ecstatic celebration . It is the joy that comes with the “ a-ha moment ’ of complete and total self-awareness . Of this time in his life , Lucius recounts , “ For the fi rst time , I felt like I found my voice .”
Brand New Persons , mixed media on canvas print
In a New Direction , mixed media on canvas print
If Lucius ’ early work is the loud , raucous exploration of human sexuality , the Explicit Beauty series is his investigation of humanity ’ s solemn fascination with the sacred . The “ classical male nude ” has been replaced by the “ classical female nude .” The colors and patterns that once seemed to defi ne each piece now tend to recede into the background so that the fi gure can take precedence . Indeed , the layers , previously used so expertly to express fantastic chaos , no longer scream “ collage .” The layers do not scream at all anymore . Instead , the layers are more understated and seem to sing . They sing the praise of the feminine divine . The Explicit Beauty series exchanges voyeurism for meditation , and fl esh for spirit . Lucius trades sexual ecstasy for emotional ecstasy and the result is universal and profound : one cannot exist
www . ARTBORNEMAGAZINE . com