Graham Nickson presents portrait heads in oils at Betty Cuningham Gallery with conversation event

Graham Nickson, a British-born artist renowned as a galvanizing art educator in New York since Hans Hofmann, has shifted from his monumental beach scenes and spontaneous watercolors to create portrait heads in oils. These works occupy a strange space between his familiar extremes, often executed in single sessions with a disconcertingly timeless quality that contrasts with their specific sitters and moments of creation. Many depict familiar figures from Nickson's orbit, rendered not as traditional portraits but as emblematic representations. Nickson and sitter Jack Flam will participate in a conversation with Phong Bui at Betty Cuningham Gallery, located at 15 Rivington Street, on Thursday, September 26 at 5:30 PM. Nickson's teaching legacy includes legendary drawing marathons and four decades at the New York Studio School, where he challenges students to embrace opposites of their usual practices. His artistic practice typically involves acrylic paintings that appear carved rather than painted, alongside fast watercolors of sunrises and sunsets. The portrait heads represent a departure from these established methods, exploring new artistic territory while maintaining his distinctive approach.