Born in Chicago in 1940, Gladys Nilsson is best known for her watercolors of long-limbed figures engaged in everyday micro-dramas. As a member of Chicago’s Hairy Who in the 1960s, Nilsson made watercolors that earned her a reputation as the most “feminine” member of the group—a characterization that she has challenged and spoofed throughout her career. Nilsson’s self-reflexive approach has guided her experimental practice, which includes Plexiglas paintings, largescale diptychs, embroidery-hoop paintings, black-on-silver drawings, prints, and mixed-media collages.
Gladys Nilsson: Gleefully Askew, 1963 – 2026
Gladys Nilsson, Small Ape Place, 1973. Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 36 in
Gladys Nilsson, Spark, 2023. Watercolor, gouache, graphite, colored pencil, ink and crayon on paper, 40 ¼ × 60 ¼ in.
Gladys Nilsson, Ladies Dance, 1975. Watercolor on paper, 14 x 11 ½ in.
Gladys Nilsson, Waterplay, 2023. Colored pencil, watercolor, gouache, graphite and crayon on paper, 30 x 22 ½ in.
Gladys Nilsson, Jump Rope, 1996. Watercolor on paper, 13 7/8 x 9 7/8 in.
Gladys Nilsson, Winterlude, 1996. Watercolor and gouache on paper, 10 1/8 x 8 in.
1994
On May 13, 1994 the Andy Warhol Museum opened its doors to the public. The museum holds the largest collection of Warhol’s artworks and archival materials, and is the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world and the largest in North America.