with Nick Cuthell

• Spanish
• English
• Italian

Visual Artist

Nick Cuthell is a figurative artist from New Zealand with a modern image and a direct and frank manner – yet we could easily imagine him dressed in 19th century fashion walking the streets of London or Florence. This invisible link to the past may be exactly what informs his style of art, which is distinctly realistic and in keeping with the European impressionist and neoclassical portraiture tradition of the 1800s.

His gentle eyes are especially good at capturing genuine refinement and beauty, and for this Nick relies on the traditional painting techniques known as ‘Alla Prima‘, or ‘L’Atelier‘, where students learn directly from maestros.

Nick has a sweet tendency to recreate aesthetic and ethical virtue through his paintings. Like a modern-day gentleman trying to rescue a beautiful painting tradition, his very presence calls for serenity, and for a validation of beauty that exists only in what is evoked with purified simplicity and unquestionable dignity.

Nick has been fortunate enough to be able to portray prominent contemporary personalities such as the renowned British actor Ian Mckellen, as well as other actors from the film ‘The Hobbit‘. He was also asked to paint the cast of ‘Waiting for Godot‘ by the Theatre Royal Haymarket. He has portrayed writer Martin Sherman, British/Nigerian actress Gloria Onitiri, and most recently Georgina Beyer, the world’s first openly transgender woman with the rank of mayor and later, member of the New Zealand parliament. However, for obvious reasons, it is his portrait of the current queen, Elizabeth II, commissioned by The New Zealand Portrait Gallery that was the great turning point of his career.

Carla and Nick share a beautiful relationship of mutual cooperation and silent approval for the human and professional, which is why this interview has an aura of friendship pervading everything it touches. This episode of Metralla Rosa is a delightful, gentle walk through the life of a painter that should not be missed.

And now, enjoy the interview!

Listen to Podcast
This interview was recorded on the 30th of August 2019 and released on the 15th of January 2020

Further Information:

Related Links
Website | Instagram

References during the interview
Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland 02:28 | Wellington 05:28 | Alla Prima 12:12 | Bob Dylan, ‘Not Dark Yet‘ 15:41 | Van Gogh 17:03 | Tate Britain 17:22 | Atelier 17:58 | The Art Students League of New York 22:04 | Peter Cox 22:19 | Adam Portraiture Award 24:26 | BP Portrait Award 24:29 | The Archibald Prize 24:34 | Diego Velázquez 26:24 | John Singer Sargent 26:26 | Joaquín Sorolla 26:27 | The New Zealand Portrait Gallery 28:30 | Queen Elizabeth II 32:17 | Barack Obama 33:36 | Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Denis Fildes 34:25 | Government House, Wellington 34:30 | Royal Collection Trust: Silver fern brooch 34:54 | London Borough of Southwark 36:46 | Ian Mckellen 46:11 | Waiting for Godot 46:19 | Brownsword Hepworth 50:07 | Gloria Onitiri 50:21 | Burlesque 52:48 | Joaquín Sorolla 56:32 | En plein air 58:10 | Georgina Beyer 1:00:10 | Mana 01:01:28 | Māori 01:01:29 | Orkney 01:01:39

Images used during the interview:

Image Credits
Noel Oil on Panel, 40 x 30cm. 2014 | Fountain in Regents Park Oil on Panel, 25 x 35cm. 2017 | Avenal McKinnon Oil on Linen, 137 x 92cm. 2012 | Nathan Oil on Canvas, 54 x 95cm. 2010 | Sketchbook page Pencil on Paper, 40 x 30cm. 2016 | Nude sketch, Charcoal on Paper, 62 x 40cm. 2016 | Nude Sketch Pencil on Paper, 30 x 30cm. 2018 | Nude Pencil on Paper, 60 x 42cm. 2008 | Alan Bollard Oil on Linen, 84 x 102cm. 2012 | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Oil on Canvas, 137 x 92cm. 2013-14 | Gandalf Oil on Linen, 84 x 51cm. 2012 | Vladimir Oil on Canvas, 65 x 45cm. 2009 | Pozzo Oil on Canvas, 60 x 45cm. 2009 | Estragon Oil on Canvas, 60 x 45cm. 2009 | Lucky Oil on Canvas, 65 x 45cm. 2009 | Ian McKellen as King Lear Oil on Linen, 72 x 45cm. 2018 | Painting of Carla during ‘New Work‘ exhibition at Brownsword Hepworth, London, 2017. Photograph by Toby Deveson | Painting of Carla during ‘New Work‘ exhibition at Brownsword Hepworth, London, 2017. Photograph by Toby Deveson | ‘New Work‘ exhibition at Brownsword Hepworth, London, 2017. Photograph by Toby Deveson |  ‘New Work‘ exhibition at Brownsword Hepworth, London, 2017. Photograph by Toby Deveson |  ‘New Work‘ exhibition at Brownsword Hepworth, London, 2017. Photograph by Toby Deveson | Omotola, 77 x 138cm, Oil on Canvas. 2017 | Self-Portrait, Oil on Canvas, 85 x 145cm. 2017 | Te Whanganui-A-Hei, Cathedral Cove, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 50cm. 2017| Still Life with Roses, Oil on Linen, 30 x 40cm. 2013 | Bow, Oil on Linen, 45 x 60cm. 2010 | Roses Regent’s Park, Oil on Canvas, 49 x 70cm. 2017 | Gormley on Thames Oil on Panel, 35 x 25cm. 2019 | Thames at Night, Oil on Canvas, 59 x 90cm. 2017 | Mother and Children Oil on Linen, 92 x 152cm. 2019 | Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Cathedral Cove, Grey Morning,  Oil on Canvas, 49 x 70cm. 2017

Interview Credits:

Production by Carla Tofano & Toby Deveson | Subtitles by Valentina Sarno | Onset artwork: Photography by Toby Deveson & drawing of Carla by Alexandra Veres | Title music written and performed by Maya Petrovna | Cameras & Sound kindly supplied by Jim Shannon & Murray Stewart