WILLIAM NELSON
29 - APRIL 27 | 2024 Curious Collisions
MARCH
WILLIAM NELSON
Curious Collisions
MARCH 29 - APRIL 27 | 2024
Enter the enchanting realm of "Curious Collisions," where the artistry of painter William Nelson shines brightly, this exhibition presents a charming array of whimsical oil paintings that transcend boundaries of genres and eras of the pop icons that Nelson draws upon in creating the provocative narratives presented in his fascinating works.
Nelson’s vibrant oil paintings feature playful groupings of Pop Culture icons and well-known fictional characters. Through creative combination of Hollywood celebrity action and dramatic figures with characters from comic books, comic strips, and animated cartoons, Nelson presents unexpected blends of parody, irreverent tableaus, and unlikely juxtapositions, that transform the presence of these characters into provocative contemporary narratives with new meanings to unpack. The resulting diverse subjects of his lively paintings cross genres, media, decades, and cultural zeitgeists. With joyful cartoon colors positioned against often serious black and white imagery from the silver screen, Nelson confronts the viewer with surprises of convivial yet implausible couplings provoking new ideas and conversations.
In reflecting on his work, Nelson shares:
“I have a new consideration in interpreting my work but this much remains straight and true: I like to arrange two figures, or groups of figures, depicted in contrasting ways. The compositions are pairings of Pop Culture icons that would not normally be considered in the same picture. The viewer is invited to enter the intersection between the figures to interpret, and reinterpret, the subject of the piece. Sometimes what’s going on is intense, however, the playful expression of the paintings empower further examination of challenging subjects.”
The fusion of storylines from the world of comic books and Hollywood personas undergoes a remarkable transformation in Nelson’s work. Coexisting within the confines of a single brilliant painting, yet seemingly detached, the two entities compel comment, wonder, and stimulates conversation that is different from what would occur by reference to either alone.
Nelson holds an MFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, along with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Florida. Born in Florida in 1961, Nelson is currently based in Norwich, Connecticut.
1613 Paseo de Peralta I Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 I 505.988.3250 I lewallengalleries.com I contact@lewallengalleries.com Cover: William Nelson, Safety Dance, 2020, Oil on canvas, 30" x 24"
William Nelson
Baby, You Can Drive My Car, 2020
Oil on canvas
36 x 72 in
William Nelson
Because I Love You Too Much, Baby, 2019Oil on canvas
72 x 60 in
William Nelson Busted, 2021
40 in
Oil on canvas 40 x
William Nelson
Dig...Is What We Really Like to Do, 2020
Oil on canvas
36 x 72 in
William Nelson
For Queen and Country, 2021
Oil on canvas
36 x 36 in
in
William Nelson Harp and Soul, 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x
60
William Nelson
I Said Loofah!, 2020
Oil on canvas
72 x 60 in
in the
on
60 x 60 in
William Nelson Lost
Library, 2020 Oil
canvas
William Nelson
Parallel Play, 2021
Oil on canvas 60 x 72
in
William Nelson Where Have I Heard that Voice Before?, 2020 Oil on canvas 60 x 60 in
30 x 48 in
William Nelson
Red, White, Blue and the Golden Lasso of Truth, 2019
Oil on canvas
60 x 48 in
William Nelson
The Little Story of Right Hand Left Hand, 2019
Oil on canvas
William Nelson Safety Dance, 2020 Oil on canvas 30 x 24
in
Selected Exhibitions
2022 Group Show, Cavalier Galleries, New York, NY
2022 Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, West Palm Beach, FL
2022 Contemporary Representational Art, Cavalier Galleries, Palm Beach, FL
2021 Art Miami, Miami, FL
2021 The Palm Beach Show, Palm Beach, FL
2020 William Nelson: Confluence [Solo Exhibition], Cavalier Galleries, New York, NY
2020 A Different Perspective, Chase Edwards Contemporary, Bridgehampton, NY
2020 The Palm Beach Show, Palm Beach, FL
2020 New York State of Mind Online Exhibition, Cavalier Ebanks Galleries
2019 Annual Small Works Online Exhibition, Cavalier Ebanks Galleries
2019 Rare Aspen, Aspen, CO
2019 Art New York, New York, NY
2019 Summer Group Show, Cavalier Ebanks Galleries, Greenwich, CT
2019 Nexus [Solo Exhibition], Cavalier Ebanks Galleries, Greenwich, CT
2019 Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL
2018 Mixed Messages [Solo Exhibition], Cavalier Gallery, New York, NY
2018 RE:FORMATION, Gallery Madison Park, New York, NY
2017 Artists of the Premier Collection, Gordon Fine Arts Gallery, Stamford, CT
2016 Baba Yaga Eats, Fields Studio Gallery, New York, NY
2016 Together Again, Firing Circuits Artists, St. Paul’s on the Green, Norwalk, CT
2015 Close to the Edge, Katonah Museum Artists Association, Pound Ridge, NY
2015 Time and Place, The Hammond Museum, North Salem, NY
2014 Pop Up Show, Christopher Robert Gallery, Stamford, CT
2013 Sprouting Spaces [Solo Exhibition], Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery, Stamford, CT
2012 Faber Birren Art Show, Stamford Art Association, CT, Prize Awarded
2012 April Fools, The Nest Gallery, Bridgeport, CT
2011 Condition X, SVA Westside Gallery, New York, NY
2011 UNABASHED, The Portrait and Figure, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
Awards and Honors
2013 – 2014 Sprouting Spaces, Harbor Point Artist in Residence, Stamford, CT
2012 Joyce and Bob Jones Prize, 32nd Annual Faber Birren Color Awards Show
2009 Artist in Residence, School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Art
2009 Artist Residency in Painting and Multimedia, School Of Visual Arts, New York, NY
1993 Institute for Computers in the Arts Award, New York, NY
Education
1993 School of Visual Arts, New York City, MFA Computer Art
1984 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, BS Interdisciplinary Studies
Railyard Arts District | 1613 Paseo de Peralta | Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 | 505.988.3250 www.lewallengalleries.com | contact@lewallengalleries.com ©2024 LewAllen Galleries | Artwork ©William Nelson
Back Cover: William Nelson, Red, White, Blue and the Golden Lasso of Truth, 2019, oil on canvas, 30 x 48 in