Gladys Nilsson
Encyclopedia
Gladys M. Nilsson is an American artist, one of the original Chicago Imagists
, a group in the 1960s and 1970s who turned to representational art. Her paintings "set forth a surreal mixture of fantasy and domesticity in a continuous parade of chaotic images."
She is married to fellow-artist and Hairy Who member Jim Nutt
.
, and her mother a waitress. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she met her future husband, fellow student Jim Nutt
. Nilsson and Nutt married in July 1961, and their son, Claude was born in 1962. Although Nilsson originally painted with oil paints
, she switched to watercolors
when pregnant in order to avoid the hazards of turpentine
.
In 1963 Nilsson and Nutt were introduced to School of the Art Institute of Chicago art history professor Whitney Halstead, who became a teacher, mentor, and friend. He introduced them in turn to Don Baum, exhibition director at the Hyde Park Art Center
in Chicago. In 1964 Nilsson and Nutt became youth instructors at the Hyde Park Art Center
.
and Gladys Nilsson
began to teach children's classes at the Hyde Park Art Center
in Chicago. They and James Falconer approached the center's exhibitions director, Don Baum, with the idea of a group show consisting of the three of them and Art Green
and Suellen Rocca
. Baum agreed, and also suggested they include Karl Wirsum
.
The name of the group show, "Hairy Who?", became the name of the group. It was coined by Karl Wirsum
as a reference to WFMT
art critic Harry Bouras. There were exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center
in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969. The 1968 exhibition traveled to the San Francisco Art Institute
, and the last show, in 1969, traveled to the Corcoran Gallery of Art
in Washington, DC.
, California, where he was an assistant professor of art at Sacramento State College.
In 1973, Nilsson was the first Hairy Who member to have a solo show, at the Whitney Museum of American Art
in New York. Two of her paintings were stolen from the show. In 1974 Nilsson and her family returned to Chicago. They have lived in Wilmette since 1976.
She had a retrospective of her art in the spring of 2010 at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
in Chicago. Nilsson's current art dealer is Jean Albano, who also represents Nutt and Karl Wirsum
.
Chicago Imagists
The Chicago Imagists is the name of a group of representational artists associated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago who exhibited at the Hyde Park Art Center in the late 1960s. Their work was known for grotesquerie, surrealism and complete uninvolvement with New York art world trends...
, a group in the 1960s and 1970s who turned to representational art. Her paintings "set forth a surreal mixture of fantasy and domesticity in a continuous parade of chaotic images."
She is married to fellow-artist and Hairy Who member Jim Nutt
Jim Nutt
James T "Jim" Nutt is an American artist who was a founding member of the Chicago surrealist art movement known as the Chicago Imagists, or the Hairy Who...
.
Early life and career
Gladys Nilsson was born to Swedish immigrant parents. Her father was a factory worker for SunbeamSunbeam Bread
Sunbeam Bread is a franchised brand of white bread, rolls, and other baked goods owned by the Quality Bakers of America cooperative. The bread products are produced and distributed by eight regional bakeries located in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania,...
, and her mother a waitress. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she met her future husband, fellow student Jim Nutt
Jim Nutt
James T "Jim" Nutt is an American artist who was a founding member of the Chicago surrealist art movement known as the Chicago Imagists, or the Hairy Who...
. Nilsson and Nutt married in July 1961, and their son, Claude was born in 1962. Although Nilsson originally painted with oil paints
Oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the...
, she switched to watercolors
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
when pregnant in order to avoid the hazards of turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
.
In 1963 Nilsson and Nutt were introduced to School of the Art Institute of Chicago art history professor Whitney Halstead, who became a teacher, mentor, and friend. He introduced them in turn to Don Baum, exhibition director at the Hyde Park Art Center
Hyde Park Art Center
The Hyde Park Art Center is a visual arts organization and the oldest alternative exhibition space in the city of Chicago. Since 2006, HPAC has been located just north of Hyde Park Boulevard, at 5020 S.Cornell Avenue, in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.-Beginnings:The Hyde Park Art...
in Chicago. In 1964 Nilsson and Nutt became youth instructors at the Hyde Park Art Center
Hyde Park Art Center
The Hyde Park Art Center is a visual arts organization and the oldest alternative exhibition space in the city of Chicago. Since 2006, HPAC has been located just north of Hyde Park Boulevard, at 5020 S.Cornell Avenue, in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.-Beginnings:The Hyde Park Art...
.
The Hairy Who years
In 1964, Jim NuttJim Nutt
James T "Jim" Nutt is an American artist who was a founding member of the Chicago surrealist art movement known as the Chicago Imagists, or the Hairy Who...
and Gladys Nilsson
Gladys Nilsson
Gladys M. Nilsson is an American artist, one of the original Chicago Imagists, a group in the 1960s and 1970s who turned to representational art...
began to teach children's classes at the Hyde Park Art Center
Hyde Park Art Center
The Hyde Park Art Center is a visual arts organization and the oldest alternative exhibition space in the city of Chicago. Since 2006, HPAC has been located just north of Hyde Park Boulevard, at 5020 S.Cornell Avenue, in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.-Beginnings:The Hyde Park Art...
in Chicago. They and James Falconer approached the center's exhibitions director, Don Baum, with the idea of a group show consisting of the three of them and Art Green
Art Green
Arthur Green is an American professor and painter. Green was a member of the Chicago artistic group, The Hairy Who in the 1960s, a member of the University of Waterloo’s faculty for over 30 years and has been an influential painter for over 40 years.-Early life:Green grew up in Indiana. His father...
and Suellen Rocca
Suellen Rocca
Suellen Rocca is a Chicago artist, one of the original Chicago Imagists, a group in the 1960s and 1970s who turned to representational art. She exhibited with them at the Hyde Park Art Center from 1966 through 1969....
. Baum agreed, and also suggested they include Karl Wirsum
Karl Wirsum
Karl Wirsum is an American artist. A member of the notorious Chicago artistic group The Hairy Who, he helped set the foundation for Chicago's art scene in the 1970s. Wirsum is primarily a painter, though he has worked with prints, sculpture and even digital art.He received a B.F.A...
.
The name of the group show, "Hairy Who?", became the name of the group. It was coined by Karl Wirsum
Karl Wirsum
Karl Wirsum is an American artist. A member of the notorious Chicago artistic group The Hairy Who, he helped set the foundation for Chicago's art scene in the 1970s. Wirsum is primarily a painter, though he has worked with prints, sculpture and even digital art.He received a B.F.A...
as a reference to WFMT
WFMT
WFMT is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of fine arts, classical music programming, and shows exploring such genres as folk and jazz). The station is managed by Window To The World Communications, Inc., owner of WTTW, one of Chicago's two Public Broadcasting Service ...
art critic Harry Bouras. There were exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center
Hyde Park Art Center
The Hyde Park Art Center is a visual arts organization and the oldest alternative exhibition space in the city of Chicago. Since 2006, HPAC has been located just north of Hyde Park Boulevard, at 5020 S.Cornell Avenue, in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.-Beginnings:The Hyde Park Art...
in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969. The 1968 exhibition traveled to the San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
, and the last show, in 1969, traveled to the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
in Washington, DC.
Later career
In 1969, the influential Chicago gallery owner Phyllis Kind agreed to represent Nilsson and Jim Nutt. In that same year Nilsson and Nutt moved to SacramentoSacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, California, where he was an assistant professor of art at Sacramento State College.
In 1973, Nilsson was the first Hairy Who member to have a solo show, at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
in New York. Two of her paintings were stolen from the show. In 1974 Nilsson and her family returned to Chicago. They have lived in Wilmette since 1976.
She had a retrospective of her art in the spring of 2010 at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art is a modern art museum serving the greater Chicago area with an ongoing program of cultural exhibitions, literary events, film screenings and music recitals. UIMA was founded in 1971 by Dr. Achilles Chreptowsky in the heart of Chicago's Ukrainian Village,...
in Chicago. Nilsson's current art dealer is Jean Albano, who also represents Nutt and Karl Wirsum
Karl Wirsum
Karl Wirsum is an American artist. A member of the notorious Chicago artistic group The Hairy Who, he helped set the foundation for Chicago's art scene in the 1970s. Wirsum is primarily a painter, though he has worked with prints, sculpture and even digital art.He received a B.F.A...
.