NATHANIEL ECKSTROM
Power is something we can experience through all our senses. I approached the Power brief in what I feel is the most awesome, rawest form of all – NATURE.
It is unbeatable in every sense. And in ways talks to you like nothing else. It is perfect, beautiful, delicate, unforgiving, destructive and yet the purest.
I wanted to capture in my illustration the force of nature and it’s temperamental state. I believe water to be a powerful energy and resource that encapsulates the word and meaning of POWER. We, and the Earth are made up of mostly water. That in itself combined with nature and it’s inhabitants, make up an awesome spectacle.
I grew up fishing with my Grandfather and outings on the boat he made himself. Often half full of water he would always navigate to somewhere random. Then with a wry smile say ‘Lots of fish here’. He was the king of the seas. There was a combination of freedom, discovery and pride. From Greek ancestry, he loves fishing and loves squid. So the portrayal of power definitely needed to capture these two elements together.
RECENTLY SUBMITTED COMMENTS
I have always been fascinated by the notion of what constitutes or gives away the gender of the artist, is there such a thing as male or female dominated style that is a particular look to each other. I'm assuming Nathaniel is a guy so I was really interested in his take on this debate and the illustration style he produced here. Part of being a great creative director is being respectful and sympathetic to your intended audience and I always strive to connect with every part of the communication including the style.Jay Morgan
Creative Director
Amnesia Razorfish
"This picture to me represents the power in all of us. There may be scary beasts out there to darken our doors but there's always the power to be optimistic and overcome our fears in that vast ocean of life and catch that big fish."
Emma Collins
"I really enjoy the image by Nathaniel Eckstrom as it reminds me of my childhood, fishing with my parents. I really enjoy the contrast between the calmness of the sport and the powerful forces that lie underneathe the water and within nature."
James Hilton
"Instead of fear, I feel pure adrenaline and pleasure at the experience of Mother Natures power- and over the last year I have experienced her power in many shapes and forms. I live in Christchurch NZ; earthquakes, snow storms and huge seas have allowed her pure power energy to tingle thru my veins. I no longer need to climb mountains."
Samantha Gilmour
"I agree completely with Nathaniel's view that nature is the ultimate power. Humanity often seems to perceive itself as powerful because we are capable of cutting down a tree, harpooning a whale or creating a dam. However, as the floods in Queensland and the earthquakes in NZ and Japan have shown us, what we can do to nature is nothing in comparison to what it can do to us. While we can destroy it little by little, ultimately, we can only destroy nature by destroying ourselves. I also like the look of blissful ignorance that the child in nathaniel's artwork has. It portrays the sense of self importance that humanity seems to have and of how we live our day to day life ignoring the possibility that at nature's whim, our world as we know it could be destroyed in the blink of an eye."
Natty-o Strutten
"What I love about this piece is that represents my personal opinion of power. While some artists seem to have gone for superheros and politicians, this work illustrates a very fragile, subtle and delicate scene. This reveals that although power's obvious imagery is a muscular man or devices of war, it is actually the small budding minds of people that will eventually grow to bring change. In my own artistic practice I often take the subtle road, knowing that my work is far more honest, and possibly persuasive than just blatant imagery."
Adam France
"Sometimes it's easy to feel lost in your own world and kinda miss something big that's sneaking up on you. I feel like this print represents that - and when I look at it I feel like those hidden threats are a little bit more manageable."
Anonymous
"This image reminds me how small we really are. We may only see the fish in the ocean, but the dangerous, ever-lurking tenticles are omnipresent. As a swimmer, I have an affinity with the water... water is something that should be both feared and respected. The playful fish reminds me of the life and fun I have extracted from the water. The tenticles remind me of the inherent danger that lurks when we are out of our natural environment. "
Steph
"The written language & myself have never had a strong relationship, and I guess that's why I prefer the visual arts.... but! I love this piece by Nathaniel & I've always appreciated his style (I have an article on Strutten in draft to be finished off soon even!). It reflects my strange obsession for analogous colours.. but it's not just the colour palette, it's the sweet innocence of the protagonist and the contrast with the sea creatures...
Or maybe it's my strange fascination with Katsushika Hokusai-esque art?"
Noelle
"My father used to fish every weekend when I was a child. He would take my sister and I along, and we would watch him fish for hours. He stopped going when his depression started taking a stronger hold of him. This picture seems to reflect the situation at that time, where the colours here make me think of those years back when he was a brighter person but you can see the tentacles of the sickness are gaining power over him."
Anonymous
"This picture makes me think about when I was a child. Looking back you don't really understand the world and how it works and who really pulls the strings to make it spin, you're so focused on the tiny little tasks (Like making your bed, which I STILL struggle with, or, umm...fishing) Even if big things are looming up behind you, and you're teetering against something that massive and powerful you don't really see it. "
Anna Lienhop
“As a surfer I have huge respect for the power of the ocean. This piece really drew my attention due to the juxtaposition between the innocent little boy happily bobbing around in one of natures most powerful sources, and the giant octopus dominating the horizon.”
Luke Hawkins
Creative Director
Tongue House
"The true meaning of Power can only be understood in context, and I believe this work is the best demonstration of this. The innocent girl (boy?) fishing, floating carefree and calm, truly enhances the majesty of the mythical beasts and I think that brings forth the Power in this piece."
Clark Pan
"How beautiful to be so small and insignificant. To cruise the world in a teacup. Nature is more powerful than humankind will ever be. This balance is portrayed just about right."
Caroline