Nathan and Noah Rice have been a staple in the Portland art scene for almost a decade. They have forged a style and philosophy into their work, which is entirely unique. Working together as twin brothers and artists, they have compiled a vast array of artwork, along with an extensive list of exhibits. They are also COMUNE/Drop City contributing artists, with signature t-shirts available. Upon my last trip to the Northwest, I visited them at their quintessential Portland home/studio, where I was able to chat with them about the past, present, and future of their artwork. See more of Noah..
Nathan and Noah Rice have been a staple in the Portland art scene for almost a decade. They have forged a style and philosophy into their work, which is entirely unique. Working together as twin brothers and artists, they have compiled a vast array of artwork, along with an extensive list of exhibits. They are also COMUNE/Drop City contributing artists, with signature t-shirts available. Upon my last trip to the Northwest, I visited them at their quintessential Portland home/studio, where I was able to chat with them about the past, present, and future of their artwork.
See more of Noah and Nathan’s artwork at noahandnathanrice.com
Corey: How long have you been creating art and when did you and your brother first start having art shows together?
Noah/Nathan: well we’ve always created in some way or another. We were really into film and first started cultivating our ideas with super 8mm around fifteen. Then we started painting, albeit not very focused, but had our first show when we were eighteen at a small place called Art Inc. in Portland. I’d say that it wasn’t until our early twenties though that we really found our style and had some pretty intense instillation exhibits in Philadelphia shortly after moving there. And from then on its just been a constant refinement, in medium and aesthetics throughout the years, showing in Austin, L.A. and New York, as well.
Corey: Tell me about the dynamic of being twin brothers and creating collaborative pieces together? How does a piece typically evolve?
Noah/Nathan: our process’ of completing a project definitely varies. We’ve had some series started together and finished independently or some entirely produced singularly with just a common initial idea. Its not as much how we get to the finished piece, series or show, I think the important thing is that at the end we always seem to see the scene the same. Its this single eye which our creative vision shares that keeps our narrative fluent, consistent and flowing.
Corey: You both are originally from Portland but have lived in New York, what did you take from this experience, and why did you ultimately return to Portland?
Noah/Nathan: New York holds a dear place in our hearts, there really is no other city with such energy, but like returning from Philadelphia to Portland, family has always brought us home. I’d say one of the most important lessons learned was one in anonymity. After riding a pretty successful wave in Portland arriving on Queens Blvd. with our trunks and suitcases in tow was quite a reality check. Nobody cared where you came from and what you had accomplished there, it’s a million people following their dreams and you are just one in the million, which is inspiring but at times can also be very lonely and discouraging. We plan to end up back there when the time is right but it’s a good gig for us in Portland right now, creatively and productively.
Corey: In the past you have gone by the nomenclature of “Christopher Twins”, is that title still relevant? Also tell me about the umbrella symbol that you use as branding and what it represents? (history of how it came about)
Noah/Nathan:We still go by Christopher Twins (Christopher being our middle names) for certain things but have slowly switched back to using just our names more often than not. Now the umbrella will always be our staple signature and brand. It came about during a really rough patch in our lives as, well in somewhat obviousness, a symbolic protector over our vision, ideas and essentially our lives. We use to engage in quite a bit of guerilla art; stencils, mini-murals and a plethora of umbrellas poking up in doorways, billboards, sidewalks and such. And the umbrella has really stuck synonomously with us in regards to all creative aspects of our lives.
Corey: Tell me about some of your artistic influences, artists, movements, etc.?
Noah/Nathan: We really are influenced and pull creatively from so many arenas. From the dada to art nouveau, social-realist and color field painters, the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, composer Phillip Glass, songs of Leonard Cohen, religion, theology, quantum physics, cartography and mathematics are just a few to mention.
Corey: You recently had an exhibition at Art Jail Gallery in NYC, was it good to be back in New York and how did the show go?
Noah/Nathan: Yeah it was great to be back in New York and it was, like always, very hard to leave again. We caught up with a handful of good friends, visited some old regular spots, museum hopped, drank a little too much, you know, the usual. The show was at a fairly recent gallery, a beautiful space off of Canal. It went really well and we plan on showing there annually.
Corey: You recently published a book, ‘Inside The Edge of a Green Glass Table’, ‘Vol. One’. It is an extremely prolific collection of work. Does this follow a direct narrative? Could you elaborate on the concept behind this?
Noah/Nathan: This book is a collection of work actually created some time ago and still stands as on of our most cohesive projects to date. Its somewhat of a collage novel, telling a tale through 100 individual scenes. The narrative is loosely embedded thoughout, a sort of personal dreamscape of reoccurring characters, their interactions, conquests and tribulations. Eventually we plan on writing a detailed story-line and character guide to possibly print as a companion but for now each individual piece stands on its own and plays a part in the larger world created as a whole in the book.
Corey: Is this limited book still available, and if so is it available through your site?
Noah/Nathan: We do have a small run of copies for sale and they can be purchased by contacting us through our site. noahandnathanrice.com
Corey: What are your plans for the future? When and will a volume two be published?
Noah/Nathan: Funny you ask that, we do have volume 2 and 3 and they are in the works. As for the future, the world created in these 3 books is defiantly one of the main sources we draw from and will lead into other creative avenues and mediums. Lots of new projects on the horizon.
Corey: Since January 1st I heard you were attempting to complete a collage a day and were doing pretty well at accomplishing this. I can imagine it would be creatively exhausting. Are you still attempting to keep up this momentum?
Noah/Nathan: It started just as an exercise in discipline and a means to keep creative momentum. But yes very exhausting and as projects pop up an old collage makes its way into the collage of the day. This is still something we will continue to try and do when time is allowed.
Corey: You recently created a new body of work that will be exhibited in the upcoming April 24th Drop City show entitled ‘Experiments In Occultism and Parapsychology’. In my opinion this is some of your most refined and complex work to date. What is the title of this new collection, and what more specifically, is it about?
Noah/Nathan: I’m actually pretty excited about the new work. Lots of crystals. The title of the new series is “doubts about my faith in the color of emeralds”. A lot of it has to do with escapism and issues of faith. Everyone will have to come to Comune to check it out! April 24th, save the date.
Corey: Well, I can’t wait. Thanks again!
Noah/Nathan: Cool man, see you soon.
-Corey
Tweet