Even a glance at Norm “Nomzee” Maxwell’s work draws you in. The Philadelphia native’s, vibrant paintings present a compelling view of a world filled with color and chaos, power and confusion, pleasure and pain. His vibrant depictions of urban life examines the struggle and aspirations of an individual determined to overcome the shadows of an inner city youth and redefine himself as one of the greatest artist America has ever produced.
How Long has HE been an ARtist
Maxwell was raised in the Germantown neighborhood in Philadelphia. He was the middle of three brothers. His mother and step-father were both school teachers and maintained a very strict household. His mother had always been an aspiring artist and briefly studied art at Philadelphia's Community College. To escape the rigorous environment at home, Norm turned his focus toward art at a very young age. He would spend hours drawing, usually imitating his mother's art school assignments.
How has GraFIttI inSpireD HIS woRk
Maxwell was introduced to street art at in the late 70’s through his older brother, who was a graffiti artist. He developed his own style and quickly gained local recognition; it was not long before his signature “ICE” tags became widely familiar throughout the area. Once the pre-teen realized art was a way to gain notoriety, he dedicated himself to his work.Customizing t-shirts and jeans for the hustlers and b-boys by day and sneaking out at night to bomb the neighborhood by night. At 16, Maxwell’s talents were already immense and he landed his first commissioned mural for Philadelphia’s Provident National Bank. His impressive blackbook, full of mind-blowing illustrations, portraits and graffiti pieces, landed him a spot at Philadelphia’s prestigious Hussian School of Art.
Eager to earn a living as a painter, Maxwell moved to Los Angeles in 1989. He was greeted by the harsh reality of a pre-Rodney-King L. A., one that affected his outlook. Maxwell used these affects as inspiration for his work. This period produced some of Maxwell’s most profound works. Incorporating symbolism, social commentary and merging the influences of graffiti art and traditional painting techniques to create a new form of artistic expression called “Fusion”.
STyle anD FaSHioN
In the early 1990’s Maxwell was one of the first entreprenuers of urban art inspired streetwear, co-founding the San Francisco based Revolution Clothing. His designs were distributed to countries such as Japan, Germany, London, and Singapore.
ARt DiREctiNG the "A" liST
He was asked to design the sets for TLC’s groundbreaking “No Scrubs” music video, in 1999. Maxwell went on to establish Norm Maxwell Media, a Los Angeles based multimedia firm, lending creative contributions to many high profile, award winning, commercials and music videos, including Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas, Revlon and Loreal, and Toyota to name a few.
CAnVas to FILm
Maxwell’s work in film has transposed his style from canvas to the big screen with his directorial debut of “The Osiris Project”. The animated art film is based on the Egyptian myth of Osiris. The film is a continuation of a series of works called “Genesis”, which ponder the tale of Adam and Eve. The film is a synthesis of animation, live action, and fine art in motion to create first “Fusionist Film”. “My intention was to create a full motion painting”.
REnAisSAnce MaN
Continuing his pattern of trail-blazing, today, Maxwell’s signature acrylic on canvas pieces can be viewed at the Norm Maxwell Studio Gallery in Los Angeles. The studio/gallery was founded by Maxwell in July of 2007 and remains one of the only artist owned and operated studio/galleries in the USA. The space serves as a creative studio as well as an art gallery which primarily features the work of Norm Maxwell and select guest artist from around the globe.
