Nat Reed is an artist living between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Growing up in Huntington Beach in the 60's and 70's, Reed absorbed the cultural influence of the chaotically evolving Southern California landscape, fueled by the spirit of a brighter tomorrow.

Nat is the grandson of Eli Hedley, pioneer tropical decorator and tiki carver known for decorating such famous nightspots as the AkuAku, KonTiki, Stephen Crane's Luau and other "Tiki" icons across the country built in the heyday of Polynesian Pop. At the request of Walt Disney, Hedley also opened the original Island Trade Store at Disneyland. Reed's father was a set decorator in 1940's Hollywood, though his wanderlust took him from operating an Orange County doughnut shop to launching his family of six on a year-long sailing adventure throughout Scandinavia on a cargo schooner when Nat was seven.

Since it's introduction in the show "Tikirama" in 2009, Reed's art work quickly became a favorite in the modernist community. He later opened his solo exhibition "Torodoodle" at mmodern Gallery in Palm Springs and exhibits at Harold Golan Gallery in Miami. His modern architectural art served as a mural for the twenty nine foot entry wall, at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, setting the period tone for the show "Fantasies In Fiberglass". He was featured in California Modern Magazine and the Australian magazine Deadbeat as an artist making a mark in the low brow genre.

"My artwork is inspired by the googie modern relics that still dot the roadsides and cities of the American landscape. The pieces are fantasy reinterpretations of the architecture, artifacts and visions of the period layered with the sticky residue of my own memories. I seek to evoke the quirky optimism of the atomic age with poppy, vibrant palettes partial to aqua, orange and chartreuse. While I love the elegant understated forms of Modernism, I'm equally seduced by the kitschy, happy exuberance of the less lofty, ersatz incarnations of Mid-Century Modern that exploded across America"

Deadbeat: I read you were grandson of tiki carver Eli Hedley. What was it like growing up around someone like that? I imagine visiting a grandfather who created such amazing tiki palaces would be a bit different to going to my grandfathers. What was his house like?
Reed: It was really something else, but we all took it for granted at the time. My grandparents home and business was a tropical village named "Island Trade Store" that Eli created not far from Disneyland where they also had a shop. It was separated from the highway by lush foliage, tikis and a hemp lashed bamboo gate that was perpetually broken. He constructed multiple A frame thatched huts filled with magnificent shells and coral as well as terrifying Polynesian artifacts and his carved totems were everywhere. He created a tropical rain forest with a wandering ferny stream and giant clam shells on banks crossed by bamboo bridges. The rain came out of an elaborate lattice of overhead bamboo (this was way before misters). It all just went on and on; their ramshackle house was full of blowfish lamps, tappa cloth, Japanese net floats, etc.,etc. My grandfather Eli and grandmother George Malcolm were true eccentrics. It was like the Adams Family if they were beachcombers. It was all opposite land, everything was strange and exotic and nothing ever seemed to work right and the more offbeat people were the more they liked them, particularly Malcolm. They came out from Oklahoma in the early thirties and I once asked her if the relocation was because of the depression, she responded "Oh no dear, we were just bored". She was the most delightful person I've ever known and I used her maiden name "Reed" as my artist name. My mother wrote a book about their story called "How Daddy Became A Beachcomber. " My cousin, Bamboo Ben carries on the tradition of tropical decorating.

Deadbeat: Do you travel a lot for inspiration? If so do you just set out and stop at places that catch your eye or do you have a list of places you aim to get to?
Reed: Everywhere I travel ends up being about inspiration and I'm constantly sidetracked by architectural and roadside artifacts. it makes for dangerous driving, my partner is very patient. There are also places I'd like to see in particular, like Brasilia.

Deadbeat: Have you always been an artist?
Reed: Yes in some way or another although mostly not professionally. I've gravitated to jobs unrelated to art. I've had lots of government jobs; I worked for the sewer, was a mailman and worked at the welfare office. I was also a partner in an Art gallery, which was a blast until the bills came due. I have no sense of planning and the art always leads me it's never the other way around. I started selling this work as greeting cards that people framed so the natural progression was to more elaborate art pieces.

Deadbeat: Can you describe your art making process? The medium you work in?
Reed: I mostly create prints that start from sketches that I refine and simplify to a sort of color separated look. I also work in acrylic and gouache but have an aversion to canvass and can only paint on wood or pegboard.

Deadbeat: Your work appears very animation like, even with the inclusion of 'characters'. Have you worked in animation or are you just influenced by this?
Reed: No, I've never worked in animation. The work is inspired by modernist and Googie architecture and artifacts so a primary formal concern is to effectively distill and stylize the strong gestures found there which I guess is what they do in animation. The characters are an extension of that and they come very naturally but I began to include them to sort of activate ideas about purpose in the buildings and objects and play as narrating symbols to the larger American post war landscape I riff on.

Deadbeat: What are some of your top travel tips or must dos for fellow modern
lovers when visiting the states?
Reed: One of my favorite sites is Oral Roberts University in Tulsa Oklahoma. It's a dense cluster of outrageous beautiful sixties buildings with lots of gold and the craziest space age tower you've ever seen. See it before they destroy it, nothing that good can last. Oklahoma City is a treasure trove of mid-century gems as well. I think everybody knows that Palm Springs is another great concentration of sights and during Modernism Week in February there are a whole bunch of good tours, and parties but absolutely plan as early as possible because it all sells out. I've never seen so many fabulous sixties porte-cocheres as in Miami if you go past all the deco stuff on Lincoln and continue up Collins past the Fountain Bleu they just keep coming. Of course in Tuscon AZ. you must see the Kon Tiki, decorated by my grandfather and the interior is still in almost original condition.