Born in Berkeley, California in 1982, I was raised eating tofu, watching John Wayne movies, and protesting war. In my work, I attempt to reconcile a mythical lineage of the warrior with the reality of my own experiences. I explore my identity, the mythology of my ancestors, my country’s engagement in multiple over seas wars, and a fascination with the depiction of combat in cinema. I understand these concepts as theatre; war theatre, political theatre and the theatre of personal identity. They are the basis from which I create images.
         How do symbols, myths and lineages of the romanticized warrior reinforce dominant ideas of masculinity, whiteness and heterosexuality in American culture? Past wars are often called forth to create the illusion of justified war. It is the misconception of a constructed evil enemy and an inherent manliness that sends men into battle. Although I view war as a staple of my masculine cultural identity, the only personal relationship I have with actual warfare is mediated through images.
          In critically looking at the way in which my history is constructed I am able to assume responsibility for my relationship to the world. I can neither deny my past nor prove its reality.  I revel in my mythology, bathing in its acceptance, grieving the past and its horrors.

Nicholas Hurd is currently an Artist in Residence and an Instructor of Letterpress at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA. He received an MFA from the California College of the Arts in 2010 and a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2004. 

Please also visit Drawing Release, an ongoing drawing blog.