Poe Nicodemus is a mixed media artist influenced by natural sciences, science fiction, and myths—but they rely, most of all, on their wild imagination. Poe has been working in theatrical design for more than a decade. Nothing pleases them more than to make an impossible, imaginary thing real; to hold it in one’s hand, or see it move and come alive. Viewers may have seen their work featured in stage productions from Telluride Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, and the Palm, as well as in Telluride Aids Benefit’s Fashion Show in 2017 and 2018. Poe has a studio at Voodoo Studios, a program of Telluride Arts.

Photo by Sarah Schwab.

We asked Poe a few questions:

3 words to describe your work:

Naturalistic, Flowing, Otherworldly


Where do you find inspiration?

The short answer is that I go for walks, and I’ll invariably imagine some fantastical creature. More truthfully, it’s a long journey from concept to completion. At first, their forms are ethereal, and it’s unclear precisely how they would move, sound, feel to the touch, and so forth. I spend weeks or months mulling them over, revisiting their image until I can picture them in great detail. I like to make objects that seem alive, or that have the feeling of their own history. I look to natural sciences, like paleontology, and nature photography for reference in hopes that the final piece feels more like an artifact than an artwork.

Eventually, there comes these emotional moments in which I am struck by a vision of a complete design: its meaning to me, its identity, its form in perfect clarity. I fall in love with it, and I need to build it so that I can feel it under my hand and show it to other people. Each sculptural piece is rather time-consuming to make, so I invest a lot in my choice of what to build next. It’s an emotional decision, as I will spend the time in construction processing my feelings of that month, season, or year in which the design became clear to me. In hindsight, I consider all of my creature designs to be metaphorical self-portraiture; a sort of cryptozoological record of my mental and emotional state.


Favorite thing ever created?

Trying to choose a favorite feels distasteful to me. I sincerely feel that the next piece is always the most exciting. In part, this is because the next will always be the most emotionally resonant, but also because I am still so far from the technical skills that I hope to one day bring to this work. At the time of construction, each design becomes an obsession; my favorite while I’m building it and in those glorious moments when I first behold it finished. I always feel depressed after completing a piece. When that magic moment comes again and I fall in love with a new concept, it becomes the most beautiful and wonderful thing I’ve ever imagined, and my new favorite.

There is something very special to me about the wearable art I’ve made for TAB the last two years: a hulking, rattling tree creature called Dogwood Spirit in 2018, and the Raven Exosuit in 2019, a metal bird with an articulating 11’ wingspan. I am at my happiest, practically vibrating with excitement when I’m building full costumes—what are in essence giant puppets—because that comes closest to realizing what I most wish to do with my life as an artist. I don’t want to make sculptures, per se. I want to make real the creatures in my head, and see them move as though they were alive.


Why Telluride?

People say that Telluride is a good place to come to heal, and that has certainly been true for me. I have drawn so much strength and inspiration from this valley, from these peaks, and especially from the forests blanketing the area. The beauty and wildness here has made me a better artist. There is always some naturalistic detail nearby to awaken ideas in me, and each piece I’ve made while living here has felt like putting down another root. I can return to specific spots on our walking trails and point to the exact place where I first pictured, with perfect clarity, one design or another. When I pass by, I’m still struck by intense memories of what it was like to encounter them there. I’m deeply moved by the idea that in time, these focal points will grow in number until I’m surrounded by such spots; delightful visions of my most beloved imaginings, swaying at me like so many trees whenever I step outside.

 
What's your next project?

This upcoming Art Walk and through the end of February, I have work on display inside ETHOS, the lovely new retail store/ meditation space/ gallery. My current favorite project is a wearable art design for the upcoming TAB Fashion Show, which will fit this year’s theme of illumination. I am extremely grateful to have the support of Telluride Arts through the Small Arts Grant program, which has helped me to afford supplies for this ambitious build. Construction is currently underway, and the glowing, creeping spectre is on my mind waking and sleeping. This creature, whose precise appearance coalesced on a walk through a recent blizzard, is one which I am very much looking forward to sharing with you.