Fay Nicolson
My works share an aesthetic attitude but float across the disciplinary boundaries of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and performance. I often combine or compress separate processes into one surface. Actions transition into image and marks iterate into pattern. Gestures journey through bodies of work, becoming motifs. The eye that composes images is an abstracting one. Dismantling, fragmenting, disassociating yet picking up on lateral connections, between forms, times, senses. I’m looking for rhythm, music, formal magic in the picture plane.
Recent bodies of work include the simultaneous production of small drawings and large paintings. The paintings co-exist as backdrops for improvised live actions that are then translated through meticulous drawing. The act of making and presenting (work and self) is addressed, as is mediacy itself – a deceleration of visual information as it moves through material guises.
My works are a dance between moment and document, abstraction and representation, intuition and self-consciousness. My work is fed by practical research into art, movement, and music pedagogy as well as a critical engagement in art histories (focusing on embodied or transdisciplinary approaches). Alongside my studio-based practice I occasionally produce writing and sound, often using prosody to emphasise the materiality of language, a place where form and meaning catch.
My work in is numerous collections in the UK, Europe and the USA. I have lectured internationally and currently teach at Kingston University.
faynicolsonartist[at]gmail.com
Royal College of Art, MA Fine Art Printmaking, 2011
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, BA Fine Art, 2006
Dithyramb, Quip & Curiosity, Cambridge, 2023
SPA SONGS, Broadway Gallery, Letchworth, 2019
TONE POEMS, Invites, London 2019
Sound before Symbol, DKUK, London, 2018
SPA SONGS, Brunel Museum, London, 2018
I Love Your Euclidean Stance, Galileo Flow, Towards, Toronto, CA, 2016
OVER AND OVER PURE FORM, Kunstraum, London, UK, 2016
UN MAKE ME, Galerie Rolando Anselmi, Berlin, DE, 2015
PLAY SENSE, Gerald Moore Gallery, London, UK, 2015
A P E L, Almanac Projects, London, UK, 2013
P A R E, West Lane South, London, UK, 2013
WORK WITH MATERIAL, Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria, 2013
BAD SIGNS, PLAZA PLAZA, London UK, 2012
Scrit, curated by Darren O'Brien, Terrace Gallery, London, UK, 2024
The Felicitous Encounter, duo show with Dorit Margreiter, Euca Annex, London, UK, 2023
Still Lyrical, RuptureXHIBIT, London, UK, 2023
Slung over the bones of a collage, 36 Gallery and Gallery North, Newcastle, UK, 2022
Resist, Terrace Gallery, London, UK, 2022
All the same age at different times, Fitzrovia Gallery, London, UK, 2022
STRUCTURES, COSAR HMT, Düsseldorf, DE, 2020
The Immeasurable, Thameside gallery, London, UK, 2019
APARREL, Division of Labour, Manchester, UK, 2018
Education, Education, Education, Learn, Learn, Learn, Division of Labour, UK, 2018
A Natural Syntax for Rhythmic Forms and Semiotic Rotations, curated by Domenico de Chirico, Bid Projects, Milan, IT, 2016
Say What?, ASC Gallery, London, UK, 2016
UEP, Addaya Centre d'Art Contemporani, Mallorca, ES, 2016
Basic Structures of, Austrian Cultural Forum, London, UK, 2016
FACE TO FACE: Artists from the Ernesto Esposito Collection, Palazzo Fruscione, Salerno, IT, 2016
The Place of the Scene, Bloc Projects, Sheffield, UK, 2015
Madrugada: Louisa Gagliardi, Fay Nicolson, Tomorrow Gallery, NY, USA, 2015
Jacopo Miliani, Fay Nicolson, Jackson Sprague, Frutta, Rome, IT, 2015
2015 Elapse / End, MAISTERRAVALBUENA, Madrid, ES, 2015
Exquisite Collapse, blip blip blip, Leeds, UK,2015
The Decorator and the Thief (…), NGCA & Priestman Gallery, Sunderland, UK, 2015
Mostyn Open 19, Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno, UK, 2015
Outpost Members' Open, (selected by Martin Westwood), Outpost, Norwich, UK,2014
ACCORDION, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London, UK, 2014
before breakfast…, Tenderpixel, London, UK, 2014
Textile Languages, Thalie Art Project, Brussels, BE, 2014
Mind Rhymes, Hidde van Seggelen Gallery, London, UK, 2013
Open Cube, Mason's Yard White Cube, London, UK, 2013
Take Me Out, Limoncello, The London Art Fair, London, UK, 2013
Things That Have Interested Me, Waterside Contemporary, London, UK, 2012
Manifesta 8, bieniale, Murcia, ES, 2010
Joan Publication Launch, poetry reading,Camden Art Centre, London, 2024
Between Law and Feeling, artist talk at UH BA Fine Art, Hatfeild, 2023
Fay Nicolson, Rob Lye, Oliver Sutherland, performance, Cafe Oto, 2021
Twang Achoo Clang Oooff!, RTM / TACO!, radio show, London/Online, UK, 2020
Art Night Open 2019,performance,Walthamstow, UK, 2019
Katz Mulk, Chapter Arts Centre and Café Oto, performance, Cardiff and London, UK, 2019
Art Education: Interesting Histories and Alternative Futures, Symposium, Loughborough University, UK, 2019
Open Sound, performance, Outpost Gallery, Norwich, UK, 2018
Soft Roc, performance, KELDER Projects, London, UK, 2018
A COMMUNITY OF SENSATION, various events, Jupiter Woods, London, UK, 2017
P S Y C H O P L A S T I C, performance, Estorick Collection, London, UK, 2017
OVER AND OVER PURE FORM, performance, Royal Institute of Art, Stockhlolm, SE, 2017
Alpha, Isis, Eden, sound event, Showroom, London, UK, 2017
Painting: Speech Bubbles and Atoms, panel discussion, ICA, London, UK, 2017
Quantum Leap, event for 24 SPACES: A CACOPHONY at Malmö Konsthall, Malmö, SE and Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh, UK, 2013
Lecture Performance, Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK, 2013
An-artist, Unlearning, performance, David Roberts Art Foundation, London, UK, 2013
Prospectus, performance, Chelsea College of Art, London, UK, 2012
ACE Emergency Covid Fund, 2020
a-n Artist Bursary, 2018
10th Niche Commission, The National Trust, 2016
Go and See Bursary, a-n bursary to visit and review the Venice Biennale, 2015
ACE Project Grant for PLAY SENSE, 2015
ACE Project Grant for Accidentally on Purpose, 2012
Jupiter Woods, London, 2017
Montiverdi Gallery, curated by Sarah McCrory, Sienna, 2015
Eltham College / Gerald Moore Gallery, London, UK, 2013-15
Triangle International Artist Workshop, with Gasworks and the British Council, Muscat, Oman, 2013
Interview with Elizabeth Corkery, print Club, 2019
Cura Blog, feature of solo exhibition, May 2016
Mousse Blog, feature of solo exhibition, May 2016
Mousse Blog, Feature of group exhibition, December 2015
Artnews, The Year in Galleries in New York, feature of group exhibition, December 2015
Cura, feature of group exhibition, September 2015
Dazed Digital, The most Exciting Shows to See this Summer, feature of group exhibition, July 2015
Art Forum, review of group show at Frutta, July 2015
Kaleidoscope Blog, MEET Fay Nicolson by George Vasey, May 2014
I am currently a Lecturer in Fine Art at Kingston School of Art, UK.
I have lectured at:
Slade MA/MFA Painting, 2023
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design BA Fine Art, 2020-22
Norwich University of the Arts BA Fine Art, 2014-22
UAL International Summer School at Chelsea, CSM, Byam Shaw and Camberwell, 2008-2022
Chelsea College of Art and Design BA and MA Fine Art and MA Curation, 2012/19
Southampton Solent BA Fine Art, 2018
University of Brighton BA Fine Art Critical Practice, 2015-17
The University of Applied Arts Vienna MA in Printmaking, 2013
Gerrit Rietveld Academie BA courses, 2012
Dutch Art Institute MA Fine Art, 2010/12
The Ruskin School of Art BA Fine Art, 2011
Nottingham Trent University Ba Fine Art, 2011
Institute of Education, PGCE Art and Design Education, 2009
I have also worked with Gasworks, Chisenhale Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, Camden Arts Centre, Southwark Park Galleries and Bow Arts Trust on their gallery education and outreach programmes between 2008-2022.
SALOME SALMACIS, online project, director, 2021 - present day. Artists: Serena Korda, Aimee Parrott, Angelina May Davis, Rita Evans, Sky Glabush, Rebecca Parkin, Mary Stephenson, Paul Becker, Donna Huddleston, Hannah Murgatroyd.
How can I deny these hands and this body are mine?, event, curator, Kelder, 2018. Artists: Debbie Kent, Lia Mazzari, Chooc Ly Tan, Richard Forbes Hamilton.
PLAY SENSE, exhibition, symposium and workshops, curator and artist, Gerald Moore Gallery, 2015. Artists: : Matthew Cornford, Annie Davey, Ralph Dorey, Dean Kenning, Tara Page, Florian Roithmayr. Supported by ACE.
Let's Sit Down and Talk About It, exhibition, curator and artist, Gerald Moore Gallery, 2014. Artists: Fay Nicolson and David Ben White.
Tokyo in the Fall, exhibition, co-curator with Henrik Potter and artist, Gerald Moore Gallery, 2014. Artists: Jonathan Baldock, Richard Forbes-Hamilton, Sophie Michael, Fay Nicolson, Christopher Orlando Page, Henrik Potter.
Accidentally on Purpose, exhibition, co-curator with Candice Jacobs, QUAD, 2012. Artists: Becky Beasley, Karen Cunningham, Michael Dean, Cyprien Gaillard, Ryan Gander, Paul Graham, Jonathan Monk, Rose O’Gallivan, Edit Oderbolz, Dan Rees, Clunie Reid, George Shaw, Ryszard Wasko. Supported by ACE.
Re-Run, online exhibition, co-curator with Majed Aslam, re-run.com and Banner Repeater, 2012. Artists: Actress, Ayshay, Nathan Barlex, David Blandy, Ami Clarke, Jess Flood-Paddock, Dean Kissick, Gil Leung, Chooc Ly Tan, Henrik Potter, Liz Price, Damien Roach, Oliver Smith, Jesse Wine.
Performance // Lecture, event, co-curator with Charles Ogilvie, RCA, 2010. Artists: Mark Davey, Richard Grayson, Nicholas Jeffrey, Stephen Knott, Fay Nicolson, Charles Ogilvie, Yelena Popova, Samuel Williams.
Fictions, exhibition, co-curator with Hugh Dichmont, Bonnington Gallery, 2009. Artists: High Dichmont, Aaron Juneau, Girolamo Marri, Fay Nicolson, Helen Perkins, Marianna Simnett, Jenny Syson. Supported by a-n.