Thomas Nozkowski

This book offers the first detailed account of the paintings of American artist Thomas Nozkowski (1944-2019), creator of modestly sized abstract works that swiftly convey what one writer describes as ‘a remarkable sense of freedom within constraint.’

As an emerging artist in the 1970s, Nozkowski’s mature style developed in the wake of Minimalism, Pop Art and Colour Field painting, and during a decade which became defined by movements - such as Conceptual and Performance art - that eschewed painting. While many artists identified with the notion of ‘painting’s terminal condition’, Nozkowski chose to express personal experience through small-scale canvases that refused to adhere to ‘a signature style’ or align themselves with a particular movement.

Through John Yau’s perceptive text, the trajectory of Nozkowski’s artistic pathway is clearly presented. Offering insightful context and discussion of specific works, this book provides the definitive narrative of an artist gifted with an original vision.