Drew Noll Art | Painting, Drawing, Writing, Comics (חמישה), dtnoll

In the Beginning

Oil on canvas, 66X81, 6.2024

In the end, I warped the earth to conceptually interpret the current continental drift, so as to appear naturally upon the oceans. Heaven was plotted out using the known constellations and deep space orbiting telescope images to map the unknown, in which we all reside. This, however, doesn’t actually matter, since the Universe creates life ongoing. It all descends down upon the land from Heaven above, to the earth beneath us. We all ride her together, Earth, back into the heavens. Rich, watery, promising Earth, where we all live, our home — living is what we do here; and it’s what will continue to be done.

Titans

Oil on canvas, 60x70, 8.2023

A great trembling seized me, and fear took hold. Caution flew and was forever gone. No longer even perceiving my control, I fell on my face. Bending down was the only option. From two separate abysses, one ocean and one land, monsters shook the world as they rose. The clash that ensued cracked open the universe, to its core, leveling expectations flat and opening barriers wide. It matters now not what came before, since harmony had fallen upon us; and, from the combat of titans, we shall, one and all, feast upon the spoils.

Above the Sea

Oil on canvas, 66x81cm , 10.2018

One evening, during the height of my studies delving into Jewish thought and practice, I found myself in the studio. I had just finished fasting and praying to align my soul with the universe for Yom Kippur and was having a quick look around to collect some tools in order to begin building my sukkah... That night, in lieu of building a sukkah, I began to paint it instead.

Crying Leviathan

Oil on canvas, 40x60cm, 6.2020

In one of the most powerful origin stories known, a letter of high importance within the nature of being went missing. From this we have ascertained that there were once two giant sea creatures populating the depths; however, one was removed to high heaven so as not to swamp the world with offspring. The remaining creature now weeps for its lost partner, and fills the oceans with tears.

The Waters

Oil on canvas, 60x60cm, 7.2023

Above and below, life shines out at us; but, our efforts to ‘see’ have disrupted our path forward to truth. It is fluid, this truth, collecting and electrifying itself, always trying to be heard, understood. And yet, all we ever do is to look on with our manufactured sense of wonder, all the while leaving our spore behind to later stumble upon, like islands of shiny plastic floating through our minds. In my generation, alone, our world has become a crime scene, polluted by curiosity, ignorance, and greed.

Red Balloon

Oil on canvas, 40x50cm, 7.2020

When I was a boy I had a book called the Red Balloon that I took with me wherever I went. I would hide in secret places to read it because doing so caused tears to trickle down my cheeks. This painting started as my two runaway dogs adventuring towards Jisr a’Zarka, an Arab town nearby on the sea. Once the balloon was painted red, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had joined my dogs on their quest into the unknown.

In 2018, I began to finish some of the oil paintings I had been working on. The new works were transformative for me, connecting to past exploits into visual storytelling, but also developing many newly discovered philosophical liberties which I gained during studies after moving to Israel. I have also found that my craft has developed and improved. In terms of formal concepts, I mostly focused on painted panels in the past using glazing techniques, but the new work, while still employing some glazing, relies much more heavily upon direct paint application and removal, and taps into processes that invoke other mediums.

These new processes tie, as well, into the philosophical freedoms I’ve gained since moving half-way around the planet. In many ways, the methods I employ mirror the progression I have followed throughout my life. By gaining knowledge through the process, then removing what I recognize as both unnecessary and obtuse, followed by layering additional information and experience, etc., the work eventually becomes a story unto itself, reflecting upon the philosophy that it was built upon and then, possibly, even magically, transforming into a window that glints light back into my life.