Larry Gaudet review
DeBrabandere review
Goran Lucic review
Nikola Nikola review
Visual Arts Review
Globe and Mail, Toronto
January 30, 2010
GALLERY GOING
Gary Michael Dault
NIKOLA NIKOLA
AT THE ALISON SMITH GALLERY
Although this is Nikola Nikola’s third exhibition with Alison Smith, I’d never seen any of his work until this exuberant exhibition of paintings titled Third Ear.
Third Ear is full of glorious painting. A look through a catalogue of his previous work is, however, a tad dispiriting—how and when did this guy suddenly learn to paint—and so well? His artist’s statement is a poem, and it’s off-putting(“I believe we need a serious critical culture/Keep the unwashed beyond my gaze/I am flashing my antlers..”)
But he flashes his antlers superbly. If the seven paintings here are a representative sample, Nikola Nikola is a gorgeous colourist, an inventive image maker, a trader in highly persuasive confections in pigment. These paintings are so fine, you feel like a bit of a fool enjoying them so whole-heartedly, so unreservedly. I was bowled over—which makes me a bit nervous.
Globe and Mail, Toronto
January 30, 2010
GALLERY GOING
Gary Michael Dault
NIKOLA NIKOLA
AT THE ALISON SMITH GALLERY
Although this is Nikola Nikola’s third exhibition with Alison Smith, I’d never seen any of his work until this exuberant exhibition of paintings titled Third Ear.
Third Ear is full of glorious painting. A look through a catalogue of his previous work is, however, a tad dispiriting—how and when did this guy suddenly learn to paint—and so well? His artist’s statement is a poem, and it’s off-putting(“I believe we need a serious critical culture/Keep the unwashed beyond my gaze/I am flashing my antlers..”)
But he flashes his antlers superbly. If the seven paintings here are a representative sample, Nikola Nikola is a gorgeous colourist, an inventive image maker, a trader in highly persuasive confections in pigment. These paintings are so fine, you feel like a bit of a fool enjoying them so whole-heartedly, so unreservedly. I was bowled over—which makes me a bit nervous.