John Randall Nelson Exhibit Reviewed by Margaret Wood

John Randall Nelson Exhibit at Gebert Contemporary 550 South Guadalupe St.Santa Fe, NM
April 9 through May 23
by Margaret Wood

Come into a curious array of signs, signals—shapes and words—symbols and telegraphic comments/warnings/advice. John Randall Nelson’s paintings peer at the viewer from walls to floor. His images on a surface level appear cryptic, cartoon-like, but convey playful messages and drama with the strength of simplicity. The flatly painted forms with subtly layered surfaces reminded of pictographs and hieroglyphics, boldly portrayed, mysterious as to their meanings.

On the opening night of the show, Nelson spoke about challenging the viewer with the simplicity of his symbols and words. With an easy smile and sincere effort to convey his ideas, he offered that the groups of pictures were “like the hotel rooms of the mind.” He said, “Maybe you’d check into one room with three bottles of wine, into another with a different kind of vice, or a book.”

In the first group of paintings, some scattered on the floor:“Dive Cafe–You don’t have to be alone in an incomprehensible world.” Words line up beside the yellow and black symbol for radiation. “After 6 beers” is printed under a spotted vase with two perky flowers. “OH” appears above the head of an average looking guy. These works are scattered on the floor below a signpost of sorts with a painted red mask and “vacancy” almost completely spelled out beside. What does it mean? Is it a puzzle or a game? I gave in to playing through interacting with the work.

In the largest group of paintings, my eyes often returned to a person with arms arched, about to dive off a very high ladder. This work in a white oval frame provided no words. Nearby, “Old hope meaningful.” Then a small flat painting of a cow with “rope.” Beside a condom and a brown splat, Nelson stated “To even put this information into a painting.”

Nelson repeated several symbols: rabbits, clowns, horseshoes, birds, coils or snakes with men’s heads, ferns. Examination of his background surfaces revealed faint layers of words beneath, English and Spanish. Forms of ferns, clowns, other vague shape were included in some paintings. Nelson described his curiosity with old
paintings showing pigments bleeding through, an effect called “pentimento.” He described the process of printing or transferring specific images in layers to add to his compositions. Nelson’s surfaces were indeed intriguing, as were his ornate, often eccentric frames.

I began to feel as if in a gallery of huge Mexican playing cards. Which of the icons would I choose, or be dealt? I identified with the “Wild Scruff,” a painting of a black bird with legs planted on the ground, human arms with red hands outstretched behind as if to balance. Its red human head sported a pointed nose/beak and a look of surprise in its eyes.

During our conversation with Nelson, my friend and I spoke about the unique place in the mind that artists access. He remarked, “If you’re not crazy when you begin being an artist, you become that way.” I couldn’t stop staring at the rhinestone lizard at the neck of his pale green shirt.

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Margaret Wood is the author of A Painter’s Kitchen:  Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O’Keeffe. She works as a Speech-Language Pathologist, with focus on the elderly.  She has been writing short stories and commentaries on art and food for several years.