2 Gyrlz Quarterly obituary of Nate Hudson

Hudson obit 2 GQ:

Aliyah Indra, the piercer and sales associate at Optic Nerve Arts, looks down slightly when asked about Nathaniel Hudson’s death. “We knew he had a heart condition, but it was still really…shocking,” she says. Having worked at Optic Nerve since June of 2004, she had only known Hudson a short while, but is still clearly affected by his passing. When asked if she had any favorite memories or stories of Hudson to share, she looked down and said softly “I’d rather not answer that.”

Nathaniel Alan Hudson was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, and was home schooled by his parents. In an artist’s statement for a recent show, he thanked his mother for “early encouragement to draw and be creative,” although he believed his desire to create art was inevitable. He was well known as a tattoo artist, and created art works in graphite and multi-media book form. In 1999, he suffered a devastating blow when much of his artwork was stolen. He ultimately viewed the loss as a turning point and began creating art in what he described as a “fantastical realist style.” In the statement, he said “Losing the bag was the single most important event in my artistic evolution, it changed me forever.”

The pieces that now decorate the walls at Optic Nerve are stark line drawings with cutouts that demonstrate the anatomy hidden underneath the skin of the subject. One sees teeth, hearts, and lungs, all rendered in stunningly accurate detail. They almost look like something from a medical textbook. There are sketches of skulls and alien like creatures; it would not be difficult to image Hudson could have been the next Dali. He used charcoal to create his works, and considered them self-portraits. Hudson’s works are also emblazoned on the bodies of hundreds of individuals.

He moved to Portland in October of 2000 and met future partner Tracy Faraca when they both participated in a suspension performance group. Faraca and Hudson started the studio in November of 2002, and she plans to keep the studio open. Faraca and Hudson were together for three and a half years and had a young daughter, Isabella. Faraca spoke to me briefly, and was astonishingly brave considering the crushing loss she had just suffered. When asked about her memories, she responded, “When Nate and I fell in love. Our trip to Asia. When we found out our baby was a girl. When she was born. Being next to him at his first art show.” She then spoke with incredible candor about the events of March 4, 2005: “I woke up and he wasn’t in bed. He had told me earlier that night he couldn’t sleep and was going to read. He was studying anatomy and different spiritual paths. I knew something was wrong when he wasn’t there, I went downstairs and…” Faraca looks down and takes a deep breath. Her eyes fill with tears. “Nate was the love of my life,” she whispers, and slips away into the back room.

Faraca plans to keep Optic Nerve open. The space serves as a combination tattoo parlor and art gallery, with piercing services also available. They display a new exhibit every last Thursday and are located at 1829 NE Alberta St. #11.