Tucker Nichols New Paintings

Gallery 16 is pleased to present a show of new paintings by Bay Area artist Tucker Nichols, his fifth solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition is made up of more than 30 paintings and framed drawings, mostly of vases with flowers, a long-favored subject for the artist. “Flowers are a near perfect subject for a painting,” Nichols says. “They offer a bit of content but they can really look like anything. They’ve also been used as a stand in for inexpressible ideas since humans first started talking.” The new paintings explore more abstracted forms as well, in some cases resembling smokestacks or disheveled cakes.

Earlier this year, Nichols began making small flower paintings on paper to send by mail to sick friends. These evolved into a permanent commission of 40 framed works at the new UCSF Hospital at Mission Bay opening in February. This fall he began making the larger paintings for this exhibition “for people too busy to take care of real plants.”

Unlike previous installations in which Nichols combined many works into larger pieces, this show is composed exclusively of stand-alone paintings and drawings. “I like playing with context and location in installations, but it’s good to make things that can live on their own too,” Nichols says.

“These paintings don’t need anything, not even water.”

After several years in the Marin Headlands, Nichols recently moved his studio to a former campaign headquarters above a tuxedo rental shop in downtown San Rafael. His work has been featured at the Drawing Center in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Denver Art Museum, Den Frie Museum in Copenhagen, and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

His drawings have been published in McSweeney’s, The Thing Quarterly, Nieves Books and the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times.

For more information, contact the gallery at hadley@gallery16.com or call (415) 626-7495.

DRAWINGS

MO 1409, Paint on Paper, 8.5x11. 2014

BR 1450, Ink on Paper, 8.5x11. 2014

BR 1419, Paint on paper, 9x12. 2014

BR 1420, Paint on paper, 9x12. 2014

BR 1418, Paint on paper, 9x12. 2014

BR 1445, Sumi Ink on paper, 8.5x11. 2014

BR 1414, Sumi Ink on paper, 17x23. 2014

BR 1405, Paint on paper, 6x8. 2014

BR 1448, Paint on paper, 8.5x11. 2014

BR 1449, Paint on paper, 8.5x11. 2014

MO 1402, Paint on paper, 12x15. 2014

BR 1447, Sumi Ink on paper, 8.5x11. 2014

BR 1424, Sumi Ink on paper, 12.5x17.75. 2014

BR 1425, Sumi Ink on paper, 12.75x16.75. 2014

MO 1405, Sumi Ink on paper, 11x19.5 2014

BR 1417, Paint on paper, 10x10. 2014

BR 1411, Paint on paper, 11.25x15.25. 2014

BR 1446, Paint on paper, 8.5x11. 2014

BR 1415, Paint on paper, 8.5x11. 2014

CA 1404, Sumi Ink on paper, 11x17. 2014

BO 1410, Sumi Ink on paper, 11x17. 2014

BR 1416, Paint on paper, 10x10. 2014

PAINTINGS

BO 1406, Paint on panel, 18x24. 2014

BR 1461, Paint on panel, 10.5x16. 2014

BR 1435, Paint on panel, 11x14x1.75. 2014

BR 1416, Paint on panel, 14x18x1.75. 2014

BR 1433, Paint on panel, 17x24x1.75. 2014

BR 1441, Paint on panel, 16x40x1.75 2014

BR 1443, Paint on panel, 17x24x1.75. 2014

BR 1462, Paint on panel, 11x14.1.75. 2014

BR 1463, Paint on panel, 12x16.1.75. 2014

BR 1406, Paint on panel, 17x24x1.75. 2014

BR 1436, Paint on panel, 16x40x1.75. 2014

BR 1401, Paint on panel, 11x14x1.75. 2014

BO 1404, Paint on panel 12x16x1. 2014

BO 1415, Paint on panel, 14x18. 2014

CA 1402, Paint on panel, 16x20x1.75. 2014

BO 1403, Paint on panel, 11x14x1.75. 2014

BR 1440, Paint on panel, 16x40x1.75. 2014

BO 1408, Paint on panel, 16x40x1.75. 2014

BR 1427, Paint on panel 11x14x1.75. 2014

BR 1439, Paint on panel, 8x10x1.75. 2014

BR 1442, Paint on panel, 8x10x1.75. 2014

BR 1437, Paint on panel, 11x14x1.75

BR 1444, Paint on panel,, 16x20x1.75. 2014

MO 1408, Paint on panel,, 17x24x1.75. 2014

BR 1434, Paint on panel, 16x20x1.75. 2014

MO 1407, Paint on panel, 11x14x1.75. 2014

Gallery 16 was founded by artist Griff Williams in 1994. Since then, Gallery 16 and its fine art imprint Gallery 16 Editions has produced exhibitions with over 250 artstis and published over 800 prints, artist books, and multiples with artists including Michelle Grabner, Ari Marcopoulos, Jim Goldberg, Colter Jacobsen, Bill Berkson, Harrell Fletcher, Lynn Hershman, Amy Franceschini, William Kentridge, Tucker Nichols, Libby Black, Deborah Oropallo, Jim Isermann, Graham Gillmore, Mark Grotjahn, Rebeca Bollinger, Rex Ray, Margaret Kilgallen.

Tucker Nichols artwork is available through Gallery 16.

Gallery 16 is located at 501 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Inquiries may contact Griff Williams at 415-626-7495.

All images Š Tucker Nichols gallery16.com