Nick's Artist Statement
As a filmmaker I tend to create stories about relationships, wrapped in humour. My humour has long been inspired by Taikia Waititi, Wes Anderson, and John Mulaney, but recently I’ve been drawn to the absurd humour of Tim Robinson. In my films I’ve worked in whiteboard animation, 2d animation, pixelation, rotoscoping, and video. Whether it is animation, ceramics, or murals, I always create with my childlike sense of wonder. My last project was an animation about my relationship with my dog, and how I see myself in him as we have grown up together. In my upcoming thesis project, “The adventures of an adolescent Michael”, I am recreating silly, playful, and reckless moments from my childhood. The animations are made with dry erase markers on a whiteboard, something which limits me to basic colours, just as children are with packages of crayons. To me, the project brings to life the art I would have wanted to make as a child with the skills I have now. And is a way for me to help people connect with their inner child if they can relate to my characters, encouraging them to be a bit more silly, and hopefully make the world a slightly happier place.