Nicole is a recent graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, with a double major in Studio Art and Theater Honors (scenic design). Her scenic designs inform her studio art and vice versa. She enjoys collaborating with other artists and creating scenic environments that tell a story that people can interact with. Her studio practices include painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and installation work. Her art focuses on movement, depth, texture, color, and emotion. She has recently become interested in people’s perception of reality, after discovering she has synesthesia. Nicole is from a small town in Minnesota where there was not a lot of art around her growing up, so she tries to make art accessible to everyone.
Nicole has received many scholarships including; Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, Central MN Arts Board Scholarship, Gustavus Art Department Scholarship, Evelyn Anderson Theatre Scholarship, Center for International and Cultural Education Scholarship. She has been on the Dean’s list throughout her entire college career and graduated with honors. She also received the Hennepin Theatre Trust Spotlight Award. Nicole designed two main stage productions at Gustavus Adolphus College, and has assisted design and scenic painting on many others. She participated in multiple group exhibitions at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Artist Statement
My name is Nicole Meyer, I am a senior art major. I am an interdisciplinary artist whose works in scenic design and studio art inform one another. My scenic designs are based on narratives, from which I pull representative emotions to visually represent. I carry this methodology into my studio practice where I translate emotion into abstract form. My process begins by identifying an emotion as the foundation for concept. That concept then drives the form, and I decide on the medium with which to work according to what mode of working and materials will communicate the concept. I work with many mediums, including photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, and mixed media.
I think very spatially, my two-dimensional works imply space and depth, and my three-dimensional works play with form and dimension. When I am creating a three-dimensional piece, I consider the form from three hundred degrees. When I am creating an environment, I consider all aspects of the space in order to create a fully immersive experience for the viewer. I have been inspired by nature, other artists, and my recent semester studying in Italy. My experience studying in Italy last semester had a large impact on my aesthetic sensibility. Being able to experience historic sculptures in person gave me an even greater appreciation for three dimensional work. I am very drawn to the curves of the body and this is reflected in my drawings. Dynamic movement and balance are evident throughout my work. When creating scenic designs, I want to create a set that has overall balance but keeps the viewer’s eye moving around the environment. In my studio art, I focus on movement through line and form. My sculptures direct the viewer's eye around the balanced piece.
My work is process oriented. I begin with an emotion I want to convey and imagine the big picture of what I want to create. Then I conduct extensive and detail-oriented research as a foundation for designing, drafting, constructing, and painting. My research includes finding inspiration images and information on how to construct specific forms and manipulate materials. My process involves cycles of detail-oriented research, experimentation and refinement to achieve an overall aesthetic goal.
Scenic Design Resume
Artist CV
