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.
1964
Philip Johnson commissioned Warhol to make a large-scale work for the exterior for his pavilion for the New York World’s Fair, along with other artists. Warhol’s provocative response, a multiple portrait of ‘Most Wanted Men’ was installed a few days before the opening but was deemed too inflammatory and contrary to the upbeat image of the World’s Fair and the work was taken down.