Jack Nixon A local Chicago Artist

Friedman Fine Art is pleased to represent the spectacular works of Chicago artist Jack Nixon. Jack is a contemporary local artist that specializes in graphite drawings of Chicago landmarks and architectural details.

Jack C. Nixon III (born October 1, 1956) is a contemporary American Photo-realist artist whose life’s work is dedicated to drawing and documenting the most beautiful architecture exteriors and interiors built in the United States before 1945. Influenced greatly by the Late Renaissance Italian illustrator and printmaker Giovanni Battista Piranesi and the French Ecole des Beaux-Arts illustrators, Jack works in graphite (soft-leaded pencils) on paper and publishes the drawings in small fine art print editions of giclee and photogravure. He currently lives and works from his home studio in Wilmette, Illinois.

Jack gravitated towards technical art classes in high school, having graduated from New Trier East in Winnetka, Illinois with art, history, and architectural and engineering drawing being his favorite subjects, winning his first notable drawing recognition from Northern Illinois University in 1973 while still in high school. But, having no love for math, he chose not to be an engineer or architect, choosing instead to study industrial design with Victor Schreckengost at the Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1970’s; switching majors to Graphic Design Communication from a preference for two dimensional composition, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1981.


Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower
Giclee Print 62 in. x 48 in.

“Studies in Light and Form: The Chicago Seven and The Michigan Avenue Bridge Sculptures” is the artist’s greatest work to date. A large, 30-35 foot modular art installation of six graphite drawings depicting the many architectural and sculptural splendors appearing on and around the southern foot of Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” (the intersection of the Chicago River and the Michigan Avenue Bridge,) it took four years to complete over a twenty-four year period. The suite is composed of “Study in Light and Form: The Chicago River’s South Side Spires” and “Study in Light and Form: The Wrigley, Tribune, and Medinah Spires” which are two 50 x 66″ master works that are a matching and mirrored pair reflecting a bye-gone era of building design and architectural craftsmanship that may never be seen again in the United States. Flanked by the four Michigan Avenue Bridge Sculpture drawings “Defense”, “Regeneration”, “The Discoverers”, and “The Pioneers, the “Wrigley/Tribune” and the “South Side Spires” the set are painstaking illustrations that document and celebrate the construction frenzy of granite, marble, Indiana limestone, and terra cotta clad, Neoclassic, Gothic Revival, and Art Deco romantic imagination of America’s roaring 1920s.

A contemporary “tour de force” of produced with soft 2B, 3B, and 4B technical pencils, this monumental opus was conceived in 1987 as a special “double triptych” suite of six individual pieces. Each drawing is a separate, stand-alone work that can be enjoyed as such or can be displayed in a variety of combinations. Furthermore, the full suite can be repositioned with the two “South Side Spires” and “Wrigley/Tribune” triptychs facing each other on opposite walls or in rotunda. Standing in between them creates the 360 degree encircling illusion of viewing the bridge sculptures and the many towering buildings from the north and south banks of the Chicago River – simultaneously. As the southern entrance to Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile,” with the winding river forking in the west and Lake Michigan seen immediately to the east, the Michigan Avenue Bridge is the central axis of the most beautifully ornate, most dramatic, and most dynamic cityscape on earth.


Bowman at Grant Park
Giclee Print 39 in. x 28 in.

This massive masterpiece is the ultimate of the artist’s patient, determined, technical, and creative talents which he will never equal or surpass. Mr. Nixon’s drawing style is a variation of the difficult and tedious technique called trompe l’oeil (tromp loi (French for “to fool the eye”)) which involves extreme detail that creates another illusion where objects appear in three dimension. For “South Side Spires” (the most recent drawing finished in 2012), two weeks of careful study was needed in numerous sketchs to perfect composition: slightly repositioning two of the four Michigan Avenue Bridge Houses and the four main buildings; eliminating two floors in the Mather/ Lincoln Tower and one floor of the Carbon & Carbide Building; eliminating a few lesser buildings altogether; and squeezing the entire scene of 100 collaged photographs twenty percent in Photoshop to tighten the scene to match the proportions of the “Wrigley/Tribune” drawing. The two weeks of careful study and image manipulation was as important as the twelve months of singularly focused illustration. The original drawings are currently on individual loan to a number of Midwestern museums of contemporary art.

The artist is currently working on the Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station (seen in deep winter) as a 50 x 66″ drawing which has been an interest and a study of his since 1993.

Nixon’s artistic influences have not come from contemporary sources but have come from the classicism of centuries before. Nixon’s many inspirations have come from minutely detailed works that include engraved and illustrated antique maps of the world by Hondius; The German painter and printmaker Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), the eighteenth century Italian engravings of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778); the beautiful French engravings of the architectural antiquities Description de l’Egypte publication (1809) of its ancient ruins shortly after Napoleon’s Armée d’Orient withdrawal from the middle east; the mid nineteenth century French École des Beaux-Arts watercolor and guache reconstructions of ancient Roman and Greek temples; John James Audubon’s print folios of birds, flora, and fauna (1838-40); Grant Wood and Andrew Wyeth, including the Brandywine Studio artists Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth. With those representational influences being most prominent, Nixon saw the potential for new, high quality architectural graphics of Chicago’s and America’s historic buildings, monuments, and ornamental decoration that could rival the golden era of etchings and engravings of ancient Rome, Athens, and Egypt. In 1987 he began to produce a series of master original graphite drawings called: “CLASSIC CHICAGO: THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE.”
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UNION LEAGUE CLUB OF CHICAGO – “CLASSIC CHICAGO” EXHIBITION RELEASE
It is rare for a curator to come across an artist with Jack Nixon’s talent. With a superb sense of composition and space, while practicing excellent draughtsmanship and rendering, Jack documents and editions grand urban landscapes and vignettes of Chicago with its buildings, monuments, and decorative stone fragments that glorifies the city’s late 19th and early 20th century Neoclassic, Gothic Revival, and Art Deco architectural styles.

Working graphite on paper, self-supplied with hundreds of photographs for reference, he achieves a special vision of Chicago that goes beyond reality. Mr. Nixon’s drawing of bas relief, such as the four sculptures on the corner houses of the Michigan Avenue Bridge become fine trompe l’oeil reliefs [(tromp loi) french for "to fool the eye"]. Deftly exhibiting [Ivan Mestrovich's] two bronze indian equestrians in Grant Park in bright light isolated from any background authors a new set of graphically substantial icons that match their monumental presence at [the intersection of] Michigan Avenue and Congress Boulevard.

The Wrigley, Tribune, and Medinah Spires drawing casts a pleasing balance of three spectacular buildings in the best possible light and juxtaposition. Mr. Nixon has subtly crafted a strong contrast between man’s hard, linear, vertical edifice with nature’s soft, billowing sky that creates a forceful three-dimensional confrontation with the viewer and these historic structures that by steps weak cliches associated with minor, less adroit illustration.

A master of Realism, displaying a new standard of old-world representation, Mr. Nixon provides us a uniquely contemporary view of architecture as art. It has been a pleasure for the Union League Club to debut Jack Nixon’s work. And I urge everyone who gets the chance, to view them in person. Slides and prints, although accurate, only suggest the powerful impact of the originals.


Board of Trade Giclee Print 21 in. x 32 in.

Dennis Loy, Curator

ARTROPOLIS / ART CHICAGO 2008 – The Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Artists
“Wow! This work is absolutely amazing. This is the best artist in the exhibition.” Paul Morris, VP Merchandise Mart Art Events and past owner and founding director, New York Armory Show.
Exhibitions

Group Shows: Ft. Wayne Art Museum, Ft. Wayne, IN; Rockford Museum of Art, Rockford, IL; Swope Art Museum, Terra Haute, IN; Hot Springs Center For The Arts, Hot Springs, AR; Columbia College, Columbia, MO; Harper College, Palatine, IL

One Man Shows: Alden B. Dow Museum of Art, Midland, MI; Union League Club Of Chicago; University Club of Chicago; Mid America Bank

Collections
Amoco Company, BMO Harris Bank & Trust, Chicago Board of Trade, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Wrigley Company, Tribune Company, Royal Bank of Scotland, InterContinental Hotels, Equity Office, The Habitat Company, Northwestern Skin Cancer Institute, Bates and Carey Law

Recognition
H.E. Wooden Sr. Memorial Prize
Manifest Gallery 9th International Drawing Annual
Oak Park Art League Honorable Mention
Juried Best of Show: State Street Art Fair, Wells Street, Gold Coast, Lakeview, Water Tower, Chicago; Oakbrook Invitational; Hinsdale; La Grange; Highland Park; Evanston; Old Orchard, Skokie.

If you would like to view additional works of the finest contemporary Chicago artists working today please follow this link Chicago local contemporary artists.

Chicago Artists Presents Mario Gonzalez Fine Art

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to represent the exciting works of contemporary Chicago Artist Mario Gonzalez.

Z – mixed media on canvas 44″ x 40″

Artist Mario Gonzalez, born and raised in Chicago, was exposed to urban art forms and beautiful murals, which he used to develop his urban expressionistic style of painting. Gonzalez combines graffiti styles with pouring, dripping, and drawing to create stunning abstract paintings. His new urban style is referred to “ZORE,” which is now highly praised by local and international galleries and museums.

Gonzalez graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1993, where he studied graffiti and fine art. Soon after, he began traveling to other countries to study art and participate in exhibitions. In his most recent trip, he traveled around the world for 64 days from a temporary residence in South Korea. He painted streets and subways in addition to murals and taught in galleries and museums internationally and locally. His works have been featured in Dwell and Healthy Homes Magazines in addition to online galleries. In 2014, the US Consulate sponsored him to represent Chicago in the International Meeting of Styles in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Styles – mixed media on wood – 48″ x 48″

Gonzalez opened a studio at the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, continuing his marvelous work. His works are famous for their presence in the acclaimed TV series “Chicago Fire.” Current exhibitions included solo exhibitions at the Zhou B Art Center and the Torres Gallery of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.

If you would like to view the works of the Mario Gonzalez and other local contemporary Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago artists.

Marvelous Fine Art from Chicago by Rodger Bechtold

Friedman Fine art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to present the marvelous works of contemporary Chicago artist Rodger Bechtold.

The Green Between oil on canvas 60” x 60”

Nature-based painter Rodger Bechtold has painted uplifting interpretations of landscapes for over thirty years. He studied visual arts at the American Academy of Art, Chicago, and the School of the Art institute of Chicago. After many years in commercial art illustration, he decided to pursue painting landscapes full time.

Bechtold’s paintings have been seen in solo and featured exhibitions in museums and prominent galleries. His works are featured in many private and public collections including Charles Wm. Foster and Associates, Ltd. in Chicago. His works have been included in periodicals and books like The Artist and the American Landscape: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting, by John Driscoll.

With his landscape paintings, Bechtold works between representation and abstraction to make his audience feel like they are at the featured place. Bechtold expresses energy, seemingly effortless brushwork, and vibrant colors. He focuses on Midwestern country sides, inviting his audience to develop an interest in the wondrous landscapes.

If you would like to view additional works by Rodger Bechtold and over 30 other fabulous contemporary local Chicago artists follow this link, Local Chicago Artists.

Magnificent Art by David Molinaro

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com is pleased to represent the exceptional works of contemporary Chicago local artist David Molinaro.

Designer and experimental artist David Molinaro brings energy into his pieces, creating complex, serious, and playful images. He earned a BFA from Kent State University, studying visual communication, design, and illustration. His works contain design techniques, depth, and complexity, evoking a variety of emotions from his audience.

Bulls Eye Popeye oil on canvas 44” x 44”

Molinaro has worked with graphic design and illustration, photography, painting, and even art direction. He expands on his interests of multi-media and the broad array of subjects he uses in his pieces. His finished pieces are described as balanced, elegant, colorful, and bold. He recently started working with oil on canvas, producing interesting images. He has works featured in numerous galleries online.

If you would like to view additional works of art by other local contemporary artists please follow this http://www.chicago-artists.com.

Chicago Artist Jordan Scott

http://www.chicago-artsists.com is pleased to announce its representation of Jordan Scott on it’s new website of contemporary local Chicago artists.

I got my start drawing stream of consciousness faces for my father’s amusement at the age of 5 or 6. My father, a sculptor and painter, liked the idea of what my “un-muddled” mind could create without the baggage of any substantial life experiences and distractions. He felt this baggage could often close the valve, or shut the doors, to true spontaneous creativity and play. These figurative drawings progressed and evolved, and I was, for a time, obsessed with drawing my own left hand. I often did this at restaurants on paper placemats and napkins. Some of these left hands were very good, especially considering the age and lack of training of the illustrator at the time. My mother saved one of the earliest of these placemat specimens. It is currently on display in her kitchen in Northbrook, Illinois.

Years later, I accompanied my mother, who was in advertising, to a press proofing in a huge industrial print plant. She showed me some colorful packaging and then had me look at it under a loupe, or tiny handheld magnifier, and what I saw amazed me. The solid colors were, in fact, not solid at all but made up of thousands of individually placed dots. This was long before the time of personal computers and dot-matrix or ink-jet printers, and nothing had prepared me for this concept.

Today, I often reuse and recycle materials outside their originally intended purpose and context. My current work incorporates thousands of used and canceled postage stamps forming abstract landscapes and color fields. These pieces create an interconnected whole greater than the sum of its parts, just like the advertising packaging. One of my current bodies of work, the Vortex Series, uses a simple but effective pattern of quadrants (once similarly deployed by Frank Stella in his Black Series) and the pixilation concept to create a beautiful meditative pattern-field of color and motion.

I often use digital photography and computer aided graphics to help me organize and work through my ideas. Digital photography, and all its many facets, has become a true passion of mine and a creative support for my other mixed-media artwork. I am currently enrolled in the Digital Photography Certificate Program, a one-year intensive, at the Chicago Photography Academy.

          

To view additional contemporary works of art by local Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago local art and artists.