Perspective is Everything

Trompe l’oeil wood sculptor sees nature through a philosophical lens

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Colton Dion has been about as close to being a starving artist as it gets. But as galleries reopen, his mind-bending paintings on scraps of wood are poised once again to launch his career — an imagining of nature through a serenely complex mind.

Colton, 24, was just beginning to get noticed by Asheville’s art scene when the pandemic hit in 2020. His work had been featured in a few local galleries, he had his own place in the city, and, for an artist with no formal training, things were looking good. Collectors were intrigued by his odd-shaped pieces of wood painted with skewed perspectives of landscapes, trompe l’oeil visions of the sky being held up by Greek pillars, a patch of grass penetrated by an icicle of clouds.

Most days, now, you’ll find this skinny fellow with unruly auburn hair and scruffy facial hair living on the side of Taylor Mountain in Candler. His shared home is surrounded by dense woodlands without a sign of civilization anywhere — except when the hardwood trees are bare and you can get a glimpse of the Biltmore House in the far distance. Don’t bother trying to use GPS: He’s off the grid, which is okay with him, because being surrounded by nature is where he gets his inspiration.

“Well I’ve almost always had a great view of the land around Asheville, looking out over 15 miles,” he says, standing in the clearing of a yard. “The mountain I grew up on faces the Biltmore House towards downtown, and with the color shifting throughout the day and year, the views have never lost my attention. I guess after looking at that kind of detail for so long, it’s just ingrained into my mind.”

Dion reads books of philosophy that are stacked in his small bedroom, which houses his unsold art on crowded walls. He’s accommodating, accessible, and unassuming. But given the opportunity, the graduate of  Enka High School can tell you about how he consciously uses the Golden Ratio in his art — a complex mathematical equation that some believe leads to perfection. The Egyptians used it to build the Great Pyramid, the Greeks used it to construct the Parthenon, Da Vinci used it to paint the Mona Lisa, and Dali used it to paint the Sacrament of the Last Supper.  And nature uses it all the time in flowers, faces, sea shells, etc.

When Colton uses the Golden Ratio, he pulls out a plastic ruler with his personal tick marks. “Sacred geometry is used in my work,” he explains. “I think our brains are used to seeing the Golden Ratio, so I use [these angles] to possibly make the piece more attractive.”

Occasionally, Colton will paint on conventional canvas, but most often he uses small pieces of wood, chiseling them with saws and sanders. One of his recurring shapes is a bowtie, or the shape of the Budweiser logo. The eye is drawn to the center point of the image, which may or may not be the most interesting aspect of the work. Other recurring shapes, themes, and techniques are ribbons, circles, triangles, one-dimensional planes with 3D intrusion, and deconstructed images reassembled slightly off kilter. He calls his work “sculptural paintings.”

Going forward, Colton says he has “made the jump. I’ve put faith into the art, and all my worries were gone after that.” He is a full-time artist represented by Foundation Woodworks in the River Arts District.

“I’ve come to believe that making art is the most powerful way I can give thanks and honor divine nature,” says Dion, as naturally as one might talk about the weather. “To stay aligned with that type of mindset requires a clear head, so art is like a motivational healer to me. The most prominent message in my work is to look at our planet as our most precious gift, to inspire one to strive towards staying grounded by taking morning walks or pausing throughout the day outdoors. By doing so you strengthen your mental health and rise up a little bit, and inadvertently you help others do the same.”

Colton Dion, Candler. Dion’s work is sold at Foundation Woodworks (17 Foundy St., Suite 10, foundationwoodworks.com). For more information, visit cmdion.bigcartel.com and @cdionart on Instagram.