James Nickel
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Catalogs:
→ 2022 Personal Structures – Reflections European Cultural Centre, 2022 Art Biennale, Venice, Italy
→ 2021 Time Space Existence, European Cultural Centre, Biennale, Venice, Italy
→ 2004 Newer Genres, 20 Years of the Rutgers Archives for Printmaking Studios, New Brunswick, NJ
→ 1998 Print 98, Herter Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
→ 1998 Paper Work: On and of Paper, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
→ 1998 Print 10, Florida Printmakers Society, Jacksonville, FL
→ 1998 Watermark, Southern Community College, Whiteville, NC
→ 1996 Grafiker 95, Falu Biennalen, Dalarnus Museum, Falu, Sweden
→ 1995 Bouys: Marking the Place, Exhibition of Large-Scale Sculpture, Bill Bace Gallery, NYC
→ 1991 Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Berkshire Art Association, Berkshire Museum
→ 1985 Constructures: New Perimetrics in Abstract Painting, Peter Frank, Nohra Haime Gallery
→ 1981 On the Trail of the Exxon National, National Arts Guide, Peter Frank, 3(1):22
→ 1976 Painting and Sculpture by Midwest Faculty-Artists, Krannert Art Museum
→ 1975 “Three Contemporary American Paintings,” Jack Cowart, Bulletin, St. Louis Art Museum
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Solo Shows
→ 2017 “Elemental Abstraction,” Mill Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
→ 2013 “The Venture Series,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 2005 “Jim Nickel,” Niche Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
→ 2001 “The Coprolite Series,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 2000 “Excavations,” Artbuilders Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
→ 1999 “Pseudomorphs,” Interchurch Center Gallery, New York, NY
→ 1997 “On Growth and Form,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1996 “Aggregate Images,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1993 “Breakthrough,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1991 “New Sculpture,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1990 “Sculpture,” Chauncy Gallery (E.T.S.), Princeton, NJ
→ 1989 “Evolutions: Paintings into Sculpture,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1988 “Recent Sculpture,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1986 “Imaging,” Camera Obscura Gallery, Denver, CO
→ 1981 “Recent Photographs and Sculpture,” Tim Burns Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1979 “Noticing Things,” Armand Hammer Library, Columbia University, NYC
→ 1977 “Jim Nickel,” Terry Moore Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1975 “Jim Nickel,” Terry Moore Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Selected Group Shows
→ 2024 “Time, Space, Existence,” ECC, Biennale, Venice, Italy
→ 2024 “You're Breaking Up,” Jane Street Gallery, Saugertes, NY
→ 2023 Eugene Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
→ 2022 “Personal Structures – Reflections,” ECC, Biennale, Venice, Italy
→ 2021 “Time Space Existence,” ECC, Biennale, Venice, Italy
→ 2017 “Color: Primary to Tertiary,” Site Brooklyn, NYC
→ 2016 “Contemporary Printmaking,” Site Brooklyn, NYC
→ 2006 “9 Views,” Uma/Niche Gallery, NYC, NY
→ 2006 “10 for 20,” 20th Anniversary Show, Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 2004 “Newer Genres: 20 Years of the Rutgers Archives for Printmaking Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick
→ 2003 “New Digital Directions,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 2002 “Moving Forward,” Photo District Gallery, New York, NY
→ 2000 “3-D Sculpture Works,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 2000 “Preserving the Garden,” Printmaking Council of New Jersey, Somerville, NJ
→ 1999 “Form and Function,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1999 “Janet Turner Print Exhibition,” California State University, Chico, CA
→ 1998 “34th Irene Leache Memorial Exhibition,” Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA
→ 1998 “10th Annual National Print Exhibition,” Florida Printmakers Society, Jacksonville, FL
→ 1998 “1998 National Print Exhibition,” Herter Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
→ 1996 “Grafiker 95, Falu Biennalen,” Dalarnus Museum, Falu, Sweden
→ 1995 “Buoys: Marking the Place,” New York, NY
→ 1992 “Geometric Wood Structures,” 148 Duane Street Gallery, New York, NY
→ 1992 “Faber Birren Color Award Show,” Stamford, CT
→ 1991 “Berkshire Art Association Exhibition,” Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA
→ 1991 “Artists at Home,” Bill Bace Gallery, New York, NY
→ 1989 “Polar: Black to White,” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
→ 1987 “Painting into Sculpture,” Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
→ 1985 “Artworks Three Dimensions,” Beaver College, Philadelphia, PA
→ 1985 “Constructures: New Perimetrics in Abstract Painting,” Nohra Haime Gallery, New York, NY
→ 1984 “Ways of Wood,” Queens College, New York, NY
→ 1983 “Art Across the Park,” Central Park, New York, NY
→ 1983 “National Small Works Show,” Zaner Gallery, Rochester, NY
→ 1982 “The Monument Redefined,” Gowanus Memorial Artyard, Brooklyn, NY
→ 1982 “Contemporary Art at One Penn Plaza,” New York, NY
→ 1981 “Foto ’81,” Foto Gallery, New York, NY
→ 1981 “The Shaped Field – Eccentric Format,” PS 1, Long Island City, NY
→ 1981 “Small Works Show,” 80 Washington Square East Gallery, New York, NY
→ 1980 El Museo Del Barrio, outdoor sculpture commission, New York, NY
→ 1979 “Art Across the Park,” Central Park, New York, NY
→ 1979 Musee d’Art Moderne, Lyons, France
→ 1977 “Faculty Art Show,” Steinberg Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
→ 1977 “The Delta Show,” Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR
→ 1976 “Missouri Photographers,” St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO
→ 1976 “Midwest Painters and Sculptors Show,” Krannert Art Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
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Jim Nickel was raised in Chicago and resides in New York City. He has a BA in philosophy from Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, IN, attended Washington University School of Art, and later earned an MFA in sculpture at Columbia University, 1986.
As a studio assistant for the Hungarian artist, Ernö Koch, he enlarged welded sculpture. After Koch’s death, he produced large geometric paintings, black and white photography, etchings, sculpture, and outdoor works. He recently moved his studio from NYC to Woodstock,
Art History should be known and appreciated by artists so that it can teach what not to make. We are unique and good art stands alone. Creativity or the search for unknown personal ART begins with perception, what we see and how we see. In my case, the journey is continuous and began with a childhood obsession with model trains substituting for real trains in the 1950’s. Finding a process was key to creating this new world of forms.
A famous architect lived in my neighborhood leaving behind 32 buildings. I grew up in Oak Park, IL home of Frank Lloyd Wright, from whom I learned “truth to materials, economy of means, and organic continuity.” His buildings were “in the landscape not on it.” This taught honesty and integrity in the process—nothing flashy or surprising—but livable, contained, and different.
My sculpture begins with ”found material” usually wood, continues with a formula for cutting, and ends with a reconfiguration losing only sawdust in the process. The object is usually hung on a wall. My paintings grew out of a process of using “organizing principles” and a “see through” quality to determine a deeply felt composition into which one could almost jump.
My “Venture Series” recalls outdoor black and white signage which controls our movements and orders us to behave in a certain way. There is a thread that moves through all of these works but I am not looking for a synthesis.
