Michael Nelson Recent Drawings

This monograph is a companion piece to the 2017 exhibition, Michael Nelson, Recent Drawings. This book features over 60 drawings by the New York native. Born in Brooklyn (1969) Nelson lived and worked through defining times in New York City which shaped his personal perspective and aesthetic. However it was a recent move to the suburbs in Long Island and a long daily commute back to the city that facilitated the work featured in this book. Created entirely while in transit, these drawings illustrate a searching, evolving central figure finding his way threw imagined landscapes. These emotional and highly personal drawings were created in the early morning in a small 5x8 sketch book. The nervous line quality of these drawings, at times dark and frantic and at times faint and waning, illustrate the artist’s signature style, but is it the speeding train or frazzled nerves that are responsible for these jittery works? Perhaps it’s a little of both, for tone, technique and subject matter are equal players here. Arranged thematically, this book features 30 drawings reprinted at their original size and 30 drawings enlarged to twice their size, giving the viewer access to subtle details and an opportunity to view these works as they were created; hand held, at arms length and on the go. Includes an introduction by the artist.