Fine Art Auction Thursday, 24 October 2024 - 6:00 PM start
Nick Herd: Ophelia (2018)
Lot Details
Nick Herd (b 1989) Ophelia (2018) Oil on linen 1740mm x1420mm Provenance: Purchased from the Rocklands Studio Exhibition Auckland by the vendor Ophelia, the female figure, abstracted, seated yet restless. Thickly textured, deftly applied paint as performance – Herd’s every gesture apparent. His energy and emotion are palpable, the pallet is lush. This is life as it is lived, raw and immediate, flawed yet beautiful. Herd’s practice explores what it means to be human - his work represents a captivating study of existence. With energetic brushstrokes preserving a subtle interplay of emotion, vulnerability, and a resilience that defines living species. Herd’s work is characterised by expressionistic mark making and unrefined – sometimes grotesque – figurative depiction which navigate the tensions between embodiment and liminality. Known for his thick application of paint referred to technically as impasto, Herd has carved out a recognisable style distinctly his own. He had a sellout show at the 2024 Aotearoa Art Fair, and his works are hotly sort after. As Denizen Magazine said recently, “One to buy now”.
