Some creative types seem to know what they want to do with their lives from the moment they are cognizant. For others, it is a fascinating, intellectual and emotional adventure, a journey of discovery - and a labour of love.
Born in the late 40's in Akron, Ohio, Woodrow Nash is the product of sanctified churches, 1950’s television images, and black inner city neighborhood schools run by predominantly white middle-class educators. The young student immersed himself in art during an era when artists sought nothing less than old-fashioned honesty in their imagery.
As a freelance artist, he painted murals for local institutions, and worked as an illustrator. In 1975, he abandoned Akron for the brighter lights of New York, where he became a fashion illustrator. There he also designed and illustrated record albums for jazz labels that represented such greats as Father Hines, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobbs and Jeff Lorber fusion.
By 1977, armed with an Associate Degree in Commercial Art from Pels School of Art in New York City, he worked as a freelance illustrator. Less than a decade later, his artistic journey landed him back in Ohio working as a technical illustrator at Goodyear Aerospace Corporation, followed by a stint as an illustrator for American Greetings Corporation.
In 1991, Woodrow moved to Madison, Wisconsin, and worked as a graphic artist, a trade that has undergone the full infiltration of computer and electronic imaging. While still an art form, it seemed light years away from the tactile expression offered by the manipulation of clay.
“I’m looking for that expression that cuts across a cultural grain.� That attitude leads many artists into the bizarre and oblique; for Woodrow the search lead him to the very foundation of mankind - Africa and world tribal culture.
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Born in the late 40's in Akron, Ohio, Woodrow Nash is the product of sanctified churches, 1950’s television images, and black inner city neighborhood schools run by predominantly white middle-class educators. The young student immersed himself in art during an era when artists sought nothing less than old-fashioned honesty in their imagery.
As a freelance artist, he painted murals for local institutions, and worked as an illustrator. In 1975, he abandoned Akron for the brighter lights of New York, where he became a fashion illustrator. There he also designed and illustrated record albums for jazz labels that represented such greats as Father Hines, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobbs and Jeff Lorber fusion.
By 1977, armed with an Associate Degree in Commercial Art from Pels School of Art in New York City, he worked as a freelance illustrator. Less than a decade later, his artistic journey landed him back in Ohio working as a technical illustrator at Goodyear Aerospace Corporation, followed by a stint as an illustrator for American Greetings Corporation.
In 1991, Woodrow moved to Madison, Wisconsin, and worked as a graphic artist, a trade that has undergone the full infiltration of computer and electronic imaging. While still an art form, it seemed light years away from the tactile expression offered by the manipulation of clay.
“I’m looking for that expression that cuts across a cultural grain.� That attitude leads many artists into the bizarre and oblique; for Woodrow the search lead him to the very foundation of mankind - Africa and world tribal culture.
Please Make a Comment. Artist Receives these Comments.
Send an Email to Your Friends. Post to Facebook & Twitter.
