Today we’d like to introduce you to Namon Bills
Hi Namon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I loved drawing as a kid. I decided at 5 years old that I wanted to be an artist. I don’t know if I’m loyal, stubborn, or not very creative in rethinking career goals, but I stuck with that notion and majored in art at BYU. My brother later told me he was surprised at that decision, because I was a better student (in more “academic” classes) than I was an artist. But I never considered anything else. After two years in the workforce, I went to Utah State University to get my MFA.
As it turns out, art has not been my career. My risk-aversion and need for stability led me to seek a predictable paycheck: first in newspapers and then in the tech sector as a UX designer.
Despite it not being my source of income, I don’t regret my decision to pursue art. It has been deeply fulfilling to me on a personal level, just to create. Some people get a thrill out of rock climbing or riding a motorcycle. I get it from making images. I’ve often wondered why I’m wired that way, and why I didn’t have a native passion for medicine or the law—something lucrative. Haha! But I like to make pictures. Going deeper than that, I am in constant pursuit of Hegel’s concept of synthesis by combining unrelated, disparate elements into a unified whole.
My experience with art has also enriched my life through interactions with others, whether as a curator of group exhibitions or as an adjunct faculty member at Westminster College.
All of this has been very positive for me, and I don’t think I would be the person I am without art in my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is life a smooth road for anyone? If so, it probably hasn’t been very fulfilling for them.
I think my biggest struggle is internal. I tend to not make art without an end goal (i.e. a deadline) in mind, and that is limiting. When I have dedicated regular time to the creation of art, that’s when I tend to be happiest and make my best work. But I’ve also learned to leverage my need for a deadline, and accept that about myself.
I have to credit artist friends as the major source that has kept and continues to keep me going. Among a host of others, a couple friends from my time at Utah State, Steven Stradley and Justin Wheatley, have been instrumental in my continuing as an artist.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Both of my degrees are in painting, but my specialty is collage and mixed media. A lot of painters get into painting because they love paint. For me, paint is just another means to an end. I will utilize any medium that helps me accomplish my artistic purpose at the time.
One of the fascinating things, to me, about art is that we don’t come to it as a result of a conscious, rational thought process. I don’t think anybody ever said, “I think I’d like to be an artist. What skills should I develop so I can get into that field?” Instead, we just draw. And we just create what we want to create. Not that that process doesn’t involve thought or decision-making (it involves a lot!), but it’s very intuitive.
As a student of art, particularly as a grad student, I spent some time really trying to understand why I made what I made. The central concept seems to be best expressed by Hegel’s idea of synthesis. He proposes that an idea, or thesis, will be countered by a contrasting idea, the antithesis; however, there will eventually arise an overarching idea that unites the two, previously opposed concepts. This third, higher concept is the synthesis. This becomes the new thesis, and the dialectic begins again. This is the driving factor behind my artwork: a search for synthesis. Luckily for me, this is something I can continually pursue and approach, but will never completely achieve. Hence, it’s fertile ground for ongoing exploration. I didn’t come across the concept of synthesis and say, “That’s what I want to make art about.” Instead, I was searching for verbal expression of what I naturally did visually, and when I came across Hegel’s concept, it resonated with me as what I was looking for. My art was already about that; this was just a way to explain it. Collage and mixed media naturally relate to synthesis; in these ways, I am combining disparate elements, processes, and ideas, striving to establish unity and harmony — striving to find synthesis.
One accomplishment that I’m proud of, that I think makes me somewhat unique, is my experience curating group exhibitions. Near the end of my time in grad school, I had an idea for a show that I felt was bigger than I could adequately address myself. So I invited other artists to participate. Then I had to find venues for the show that aligned with the concept. That first show was called The State Street Project. It naturally led to others, and I started thinking in terms of group exhibitions. If I remember correctly, I curated 13 group shows over 12 years. It was great to interact with the other artists! Seeing the shows come together, and the great ways that different artists responded to the theme, was like Christmas every time!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I assume this is asking about Salt Lake. I live about an hour’s drive south of Salt Lake, but I love the monthly gallery strolls. I enjoy the urban landscape, particularly the parts that maybe get overlooked. I have spent time just walking around downtown, taking photos and trying to notice things I would otherwise ignore if I were just focused on getting from point A to point B, as I often am. I think that’s something that came out of the State Street Project for me: the ability to appreciate a journey in and of itself, not just for its ultimate destination.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.namonbills.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/namonbills
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/namonbills/
