Welcome back to the Student Spotlight, where each week we’ll be interviewing an LAU student to find out more about you and your practice! For this week’s Student Spotlight we spoke to Fine Art student and Co-Leader of Creative Queers, Nathan Beaton.
Read on to find out just what inspires Nathan's Paintings! Please be aware that Nathan's work contains nudity.
Students’ Union: Hi Nathan thank you so much for being our next Student Spotlight! It's a perfect time to highlight your amazing work around queer identity as it's LGBTQIA+ History Month. The first question we will kick off with is what type of work do you produce?
Nathan Beaton: Realism-based figurative oil painting
Students’ Union: What skill and time that must take to create! I can see you create works on a variety of scales too which is super interesting. I would love to know who and what inspires you?
Nathan Beaton: My practice is driven by the want to add inclusive representation of queer individuals to contemporary art.
Students’ Union: That's a super important message to portray in your art. As a painter I would be interested in learning when do you feel like you're at your most creative?
Nathan Beaton: I focus on sensuality, sexuality, intimacy and diversity. I feel at my most creative when I am talking to wider audiences about LGBTQ+ identities and how representation of queer people has and can influence positive responses from cisgender, heterosexual people.
Students’ Union: It's great that you are encouraging open conversations around your work. What advice would you give to other artists thinking about coming to study at LAU?
Nathan Beaton: Ride the waves. They're scary and overwhelming at times, but trust your ability above all else. Every challenge and wave is worth riding, stick at it.
Students’ Union: That's really insightful, thanks for sharing that with us! We would love to hear what your what are your plans for the future?
Nathan Beaton: I'm going onto study my MA at Leeds Arts in September followed by a potential PhD elsewhere.
Students’ Union: That's Amazing that you are continuing to study with LAU and that you have the potential to study a Ph.D. The final question we have for you is where do you hope your art takes you?
Nathan Beaton: I plan to stay as a freelance painter, whilst contributing to the education system regarding queer identities, sex education and harm reduction on the side.
Students’ Union: Thank you so much for chatting to us today Nathan! We wish you all the best with your future projects and can't wait to see what new work you come up with!
If you want to check out more of Nathan's work then you can find them at @nathanbeaton.art