By Lynne Tucker
The mural by Los Angeles artist Nate Frizzell is located on Fred Waring Dr. and Adams St.
The City of La Quinta recently unveiled its newest public mural titled, “Bloom” by artist Nate Frizzell. The mural, located on Fred Waring Dr. and Adams St., is a form of art called hyperrealism and features a muted display of flowers, birds and the face of a woman.
The mural is the latest addition to the City’s Art in Public Places, which is funded through development fees paid to the City by commercial and residential construction. The mural, which took approximately 3 weeks to complete, was selected by the Community Services Commission and approved by City Council in 2020.
A graduate of Los Angeles’ Otis College of Art and Design, Frizzell has drawn international acclaim for his work, showcasing in London, Spain, Philipines, and across the US in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and at Miami for the annual Art Basel festival to name a few. Since 2009 he has held five solo shows.
Along the way Nate has dedicated his time to exploring different mediums, learning new techniques, and finding his voice in the art world. His work tends to lean toward figurative painting, using each subject to tell stories of self-discovery and reflection; sometimes depicting children at play or exploring their imagination, sometimes utilizing masks and animals to make symbolic connections, and sometimes just as an exploration of color. Whatever the subject matter, the intent is to make the viewer feel something and hopefully make a personal connection with the work. The goal, in the end, is for the viewer to decide what each piece of art means.
After years of showing work in galleries, Nate had the opportunity to paint murals in public spaces and it completely changed how he looked at art and what it can do. He saw how it can transform an area and the impact it can have on a community. While he still shows in the traditional sense, the main focus of his career, since, has been public art; treating every wall like a canvas, with the goal of each piece not necessarily focusing on the figure any longer, but speaking to that space or neighborhood in the hopes of conveying the feeling that it belongs there.
Nate Frizzell: “Who we are at work. How we act around friends and family. The way we speak to others. We are all of these and none of these, a revolving collection of faces… of masks.”
These meditations inform the work of Nate Frizzell. Lovingly rendered through bold colors and powerful compositions, his stirring narratives pay tribute to primal emotions of the wild at heart. Juxtaposing man and beast, nature and urban landscapes, Nate’s subjects convey the quest for identity, the fire of innermost desires, and the unbridled passion of youth. They often portray faces hidden but emotions nakedly exposed.
He currently lives and works in Los Angeles. For more info go to www.natefrizzell.com.
