Nathan Durfee organized an art exhibition in Charleston, South Carolina featuring over 25 collaborative works he created with 11 different artists. For the collaborations, Durfee would either finish pieces other artists started or add elements to their existing works. The collaborative process varied between artists, from handing pieces back and forth to discussing ideas through sketches. Both Durfee and the other artists found the experience challenging but rewarding, as it pushed them creatively and resulted in works that combined both of their styles in interesting new ways. The exhibition highlights the supportive arts community in Charleston, where most of the collaborating artists are based.

1. PREVIEWS OF WORKS FOR SALE AT UPCOMING SHOWS COAST TO COAST A P R I L 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 1 4
A M E R I C A N
C O L L E C T O R
Now Showcasing Glass,
Ceramics & Wood

2. 116 www.AmericanArtCollector.com
Robert Lange Studios
2 Queen Street | Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 805-8052 | www.robertlangestudios.com
UPCOMING SHOW PREVIEW /CHARLESTON, SC
April 3-24, 2015
N A T H A N D U R F E E
Blending tides
For artists who pour their time, hearts and souls
into their work, handing it off to another artist to
add their touch can be a daunting endeavor. When you
admire the artists whose work you’re adding to, there’s
a new layer of pressure to create a product all parties are
happy with. Nathan Durfee was up for the challenge,
and worked with 11 artists to create the more than 25
works in his Blending Tides collaborations show at
Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, South Carolina.
“It takes a lot of empathy to not only respect your
art for what it is, but also know everyone else who is
handing you their art loves it just as much, or not more,”
Durfee, 31, says. “People do become protective and
apprehensive, but like any relationship, as long as you
keep communication open, that’s the biggest thing.”
Durfee has worked on collaborations in the past,
crafting more than 100 with Robert Lange Studios co-
owner Megan Aline, as well as having had a 20-piece
show with her husband and co-owner Robert Lange
in 2009. For this exhibition, he approached artists he
felt a mutual trust with, and he began working on the
show this past October. Approaches varied from artists
beginning a piece and handing it off to Durfee to finish,
to a back-and-forth discussion involving sketches
throughout the collaboration process.
In one of his pieces with Aline, First Time
1
Hirona Matsuda and
Nathan Durfee, Curiosity
Got the Best of Hector,
mixed media on panel,
18 x 12"
2
Gregg Lambton-Carr
and Nathan Durfee,
The Look on Elizabeth,
oil on giclee, 24 x 16"
1 2

3. 117PREVIEW
3
4
Homebuyers, Aline’s dark and ominous
atmosphere was brightened by the addition
of two little cardinals searching for a love
nest. The painting The Look on Elizabeth
features a digital photo of a model friend of
Gregg Lambton-Carr’s printed on canvas.
Durfee added patchwork details and black
eyes to her face, creating a sensitive and
haunting image, and reaching emotions
he says he rarely reaches in his own work.
Lambton-Carr was thrilled with the results.
“When I took the photo, I wanted to
create a striking portrait that would draw
people in, especially through the eye
contact,” Lambton-Carr says. “I wanted it
to be earthly and vibrant. Nathan took that
look and built upon it. He created a Durfee.”
In some works, such as A Trial Launch
with Hirona Matsuda, Durfee created
the background for her to add to on
top, and in their Curiosity Got the Best
of Hector, his painting tops her shadow
box featuring found objects. While works
such as these blend seamlessly together,
other pieces, such as Hanging onto His
Thoughts with Patch Whiskey, contain
more distinctive styles.
Oliver Goes for a Test Flight, Durfee’s
collaboration with Kevin Taylor, features
a Durfee patchwork-covered creature set
against Taylor’s serene, lonely landscape
that includes a realistic “almost-bat”
hovering above. Taylor says while he
usually paints from reference photos,
working with Durfee gave him the freedom
to “paint from his head.”
“Collaborations are fun because you
get to see your work take a direction you
would have never thought of, and that’s
exactly what Nathan did,” Taylor says.
“I think subconsciously, I was making
a dark, moody painting, because I knew
Nathan would balance it out with a more
narrative lightheartedness. I think it came
out just right.”
Lange, who will again have pieces with
Durfee in the show, says the exhibition is
a reflection of the supportive Charleston
arts community, since most of the artists
featured are from the area.
“It takes a lot for an artist to let go of
something they’ve spent a lot of time on
and let another artist put their hand on
it,” Lange says. “I think the fact all these
artists have given their sense of confidence
to Nathan is a testament to who he is. He is
a painter’s painter.”
3
Megan Aline and
Nathan Durfee, First
Time Homebuyers, oil
and acrylic on panel,
4 x 5"
4
Kevin Taylor and
Nathan Durfee, Oliver
Goes for a Test Flight,
oil on panel, 20 x 17"