Description

Jump into pure feeling, a solo show by New Hampshire Art Association artist, Christopher Nicholson.

On June 2, the New Hampshire Art Association will open “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” an autobiographical exploration of human emotion by Concord-based artist, Christopher Nicholson. Nicholson wants to untether the essence of human emotion from the world of recognizable objects. In his latest collection, the artist reaches into his past to memorialize those he lost to the AIDS epidemic and explore a range of emotions unleashed by their mourning and beyond. In The Life You Save May Be Your Own, Nicholson takes a systems approach to abstraction, using structure to guide his work.

The artist created a series of geometric paper and wire sculptures by folding them into various shapes using prescribed numbers of folds. “Like a Shakespearian sonnet, I created rules and worked within their confines,” he says. He later depicted the sculptures in a series of paintings. The result—a collection of sparse geometric forms—is reminiscent of the Suprematist and Constructivist art movements. Also in The Life You Save May Be Your Own are a series of sculpted heads painted with systematic abstract lines and geometric shapes to memorialize loved ones he lost during the AIDS epidemic.

Nicholson now lives in Concord, Mass., but he started making art by drawing and sketching rooftops when he lived in Manhattan. In 2019, he decided to pick up a paintbrush after one of his weekly visits to MOMA, when a Rothko painting caught his eye. The simplistic power of Rothko’s "No. 16" inspired Nicholson to explore abstract art forms. “It just hit me like a thunderbolt one day,” he said. “It is a pure feeling that's not attached to known objects and known associations.”

The New Hampshire Art Association will display the works in the East Gallery of the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery from June 1 to July 2. They are hosting a reception on Friday, June 2, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of the Art 'Round Town First Friday art walk in Portsmouth. The public is welcome. Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery at 136 State Street in Portsmouth, NH. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm; Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm; and Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm. Visit www.nhartassociation.org or call 603-431-4230 for more information. Go & Do Jump into pure feeling.

Nicholson’s show will run from June 1st to July 2nd in the East Gallery at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery at 136 State Street in Portsmouth, NH. A reception will be held on Friday June 2nd, from 5 pm to 8 pm as part of the Art Around Town First Friday art walk in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The public is welcome. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm; Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm; and Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Artwork: “Head No. 2” Fiberglass mannequin head and acrylic mounted on wood by Christopher Nicholson. “3 Triangles” Oil on masonite board by Christopher Nicholson.