Nate Hutton: Bridging the gap between cartoons and art

Nate Hutton’s work is reminiscent of the late 20th-century art represented in the popular culture; think Simpsons, or more recently Rick and Morty. This Adelaidean describes his work – stick-like figures, long faces, broad noses -  as lowbrow style. His work reflects an imagination that is free from conventions and therefore is able to create art that has an immediate impact- either hate or love, there’s no ignoring.  Nate's eccentric creations are slowly creating a buzz in both Adelaide’s art circles and social media. 

Growing up, cartoons and unconventional art caught young Nate’s attention. “Then as a school-going kid, I became passionate about putting my ideas into that art form and have continued to develop my style. My cartoons are lowbrow style and allow me to express my ideas through it. I enjoy interpreting other artists’ work by applying my style. Apart from drawings, I am also interested in animation and am keen to work with other artists to create drawings which are suitable for animation,” he says.

Nate adds that his drawings have helped him to express himself and hopes to “encourage people to consider different perspectives when they view my work.”

Thought process:

The 29-year-old’s thought process is “free-form”; progressing without a set plan. “My process is free-form and ‘naïve’.  The ideas evolve from rough sketches. I usually just start to draw with no end in mind and my characters develop as I'm drawing. I do digital work to further develop my characters and to produce stickers, T-shirts, and zines,” he explains. “Unless a client requests a specific design or character, all my ideas are original, and I rarely use reference pictures. In doing so, I find that the characters I create are strange and unique,” he adds.

Nate is currently working for the state government in an administration role and is also pursuing Bachelors in Management at the University of South Australia. “I hope to use my background in supervision and my qualifications in management to work in the creative sector,” he says.

Being in Adelaide: 

Nate who was born in Port Hedland, WA and grew up in the Adelaide Hills, points out that the city is a wonderful place to be an experimental artist.  “Adelaide is thriving! I think it encourages all forms of art. You can see this around Fringe time and the other fantastic festivals (like SALA) we have here throughout the year. On my way to work I see street art, murals, stobie pole art, sticker art and footpath art. There are static displays and ever-changing exhibitions, which means that it caters for a range of tastes,” he says.

He adds, “In my experience, people have responded positively towards my art. I have exhibited in galleries, sold items to overseas clients and am becoming more involved in the zine community.”

Looking at Nate’s art, it is no surprise that he derives his inspiration from shows like the Simpsons and South Park. “I believe these shows not only inspired my love of drawing and animation but also helped me develop an interest and understanding of social commentary. More recently shows like Rick and Morty and an array of online content has helped me to further develop my style and voice. Local artists like @peterdrewarts, @10tkl and @1loveadl inspired me to become more involved in street art and sticker design,” he explains.

Nate also sells stickers, zines and other merchandise such as T-shirts and can produce items on request. “Primarily my business is done through Instagram and I have occasional exhibitions,” he adds.

“My current plan is to finish my degree in management by the end of next year. I hope to collaborate with like-minded artists in design and animation, continue to develop and sell zines, and to become more commercial by creating products and items for sale both in Australia and overseas,” says the up and coming artist.

Follow Nate's story on Instagram.