While it’s neither completely outsider art nor folk art, the work of John Randall Nelson shares common ground with those styles, particularly in its rawness and nonconformity. He uses symbols and archetypes in his paintings and sculptures, having developed a distinct artistic vocabulary over the years that materializes in his work in text and graphic elements.
Nelson was born in Princeton, Illinois, but works out of Phoenix, Arizona. Early visits to the Art Institute of Chicago introduced Nelson to painters such as Jim Nutt, Roger Brown and Karl Wirsum. He decided to move to Arizona to study at Arizona State University where he earned his MFA in 1996.
Nelson’s subjects are as playful as they are peculiar — his textured paintings, which feature collages, layers of oil paint and an integration of text, feature everything from animals and flowers to imagined human-animal hybrids or everyday objects such as shoes and bicycles. Many paintings are populated with brightly colored polka dot patterns while his Pop art-inflected steel sculptures take on fantastical forms and draw on the Pattern and Decoration movement, which emerged in cities such as Los Angeles and New York during the early 1970s.
Nelson has exhibited all over the United States. His sculptures can be found at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Nelson’s work is held in a number of private, public and corporate collections including Apple Inc., Phoenix Public Art and Design, the American Folk Art Museum and many other institutions.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of original John Randall Nelson paintings and other art.
Dead Eyed Cowboy
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
Original art by John Randall Nelson depicting a cowboy with characteristics of Pop Art and Folk Art combined with a whimsical, illustrative style. The vibrant colors, cartoonish figu...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Trust Me
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
Original art by John Randall Nelson depicting a horse with characteristics of Pop Art and Folk Art combined with a whimsical, illustrative style. The vibrant colors, cartoonish figur...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Enchanted by Life Itself
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
"Enchanted by Life Itself" by John Randall Nelson is an acrylic and mixed media painting on panel, measuring 19" x 19". This vibrant artwork features a bold red and pink butterfly se...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Escape
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
Original art by John Randall Nelson depicting a bicycle with characteristics of Pop Art and Folk Art combined with a whimsical, illustrative style. The vibrant colors, cartoonish fig...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Ousting Luck
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
John Randall Nelson's "Ousting Luck" features a black wishbone set against a warm-toned off-white backdrop. This piece, created with acrylic and mixed m...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Naturally
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
Original Art: A mixed media painting by John Randall Nelson depicting vibrant flowers in a vase on a table. John Nelson's works often feature a central image superimposed over a col...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Wavering Wish
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
John Randall Nelson's "Wavering Wish" presents a deep black background accented with subtle hints of blue. The artwork depicts a dice, outlined in vivid yellow and blue, floating in ...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Rejects the Complexities of Life
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
"Rejects the Complexities of Life" by John Randall Nelson is a 19" x 19" acrylic and mixed media piece on panel. The artwork features a symbolic glass of wine placed against a vibran...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
$3,900
H 72 in W 48 in D 1.5 in
The Fort Protected - Large Oversized Contemporary Abstract Blue Painting
By Sarah Svetlana
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sarah Svetlana's original abstract artworks offer a captivating glimpse into the intricacies of the human experience, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of sources and influenc...
Canvas, Charcoal, Varnish, Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$275Sale Price|44% Off
H 20 in W 15 in
Rorschach - Original Colorful Mixed Media Textured Wood Wall Sculpture Artwork
By Rebecca Klundt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This original geometric abstract wall sculpture by Rebecca Klundt is a 20 inch tall by 15 inch wide mixed media artwork, constructed from reclaimed wood and finished with acrylic pai...
Driftwood, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$3,900
H 36 in W 60 in
TBG Origins: You Bring Me Joy - Large Meditative Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Valentine
By Katherine Bello
Located in Kansas City, MO
Artist : Katherine Bello Title : Valentine Materials : Acrylic and paper on board Date : 1/2020 Dimensions : 18"x18"x.75" Signed and Dated by Hand COA Provided Katherine Bello's aim as an artist is to capture a sense of place, a moment of time, or a feeling - to evoke a sense of wonder. Bello loves paint and paint brushes; bold, gestural mark-making and the interplay of color. She is influenced by light and landscape, poetry, history and science. Formerly educated in Chemical Engineering and Interior Design, Bello is drawn to the process of creating Something out of Nothing. Abstract, sbstract art...
Canvas, Paint, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board
$4,650
H 44 in W 66 in
Chop Jit - Large Abstract Color Drenched Unique Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$6,800
H 40 in W 122 in
Breathtaking (Triptych) - Large Colorful Impasto Inspired Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$3,700
H 40 in W 50 in
Cairn Collection: POSSIBILITY - Large Meditative Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
H 36 in W 48 in
Zipline - Textured Black and White Abstract Thick Paint Monochrome Original Art
By Tasha Jentel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tasha Jentel creates original abstract art that merges minimalist design with richly tactile, sculptural texture. Working exclusively in black and white, ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,300Sale Price|35% Off
H 20 in W 60 in
Hermosa Way - Large Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Berta’s acrylic and mixed-media paintings blend texture and color to create harmony, mystery, and depth on the painted surface. Her paintings transform spaces into Zen environm...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$7,934
H 57.49 in W 44.89 in D 1.58 in
ABSTRACT Contemporary Artist French Rose Madone New Artwork forms earth colors
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of A...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
$645
H 12 in W 9 in
Untitled (PPR441) - Surrealist Color Drenched Abstract Mixed Media Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Max Manning is a Houston-based painter whose practice he describes as “algorithmic abstraction”, studio-built systems that he deliberately disrupts to create compositions where loose...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache
White Silence
By Enrico Benetta
Located in Miami, FL
"White Silence" is a triptych created by Enrico Benetta in 2016. The painting comes unframed, with a total dimension of 28" x 59" x 5". This piece was made with acrylic paint, gesso, and corten steel - the signature materials that Benetta has become known for. Thanks to his excellent skills, the artist uses unconventional media to create truly unique artworks, that take the viewer to an aerial, restless dimension - despite the opposite nature of those materials. Benetta's work takes the heritage of Italian industrial design and fuses it with contemporary art, giving life to unique abstract pieces that spark the attention of art lovers worldwide. He studied Fine Arts in Venice, and his work has been featured in more than 25 exhibitions in the recent years, in addition to his collaboration with brands like...
Metal, Steel
Sold
H 15 in W 15 in D 15 in
Suite Three of Clubs, Three of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, Spade Moxie
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
Suite Three of Clubs, Three of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, Spade Moxie is a suite of paintings by John Randall Nelson that are playful mixed media works, each measuring 15" x 15" on ...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Spade Moxie
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Tulsa, OK
John Randall Nelson’s mixed media on panel, "Spade Moxie" showcases a vibrant and textured interpretation of the spade symbol. Using acrylic and mixed media on panel, Nelson layers a...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Sing For Me
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layered with his own personal language consisting of patterns, symbols, and archetypes that may not m...
Mixed Media
Where She Stops and The World Begings
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layered with his own personal language consisting of patterns, symbols, and archetypes that may not m...
Mixed Media
Higgeldy Piggeldy
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layered with his own personal language consisting of patterns, symbols, and archetypes that may not m...
Mixed Media
Time Travel
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Time Travel", mixed media on panel — 36 x 48 x 2 inches — 2016. John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layered...
Sold
H 70 in W 48 in D 2 in
She Points to Comets, to Thunder, to the Migrating Herds
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"She Points to Comets, to Thunder, to the Migrating Herds", mixed media on panel — 70 x 48 x 2 inches. John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works ...
Mixed Media, Panel
Polka Dots No. 51
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Polka Dots No. 51", mixed media on panel — 15 x 13 x 2 inches — 2016 "Polka Dots No. 51" features a textural multicolor bullseye on a rust colored background. This aluminum panel is...
Aluminum
Cycoplasm
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Cycoplasm", mixed media on panel — 36 x 48 x 2 inches — 2016. John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layered with his own personal language consisting of patterns, symbols, and archetypes that may not make any literal sense but play on subconscious associations. His paintings are thick with poured pigment, saturated washes and worked with layers of drawing and collage. The main subject of "Cycloplasm" is a lone silhouetted bicycle. There might be more to this old bike...
Mixed Media, Panel
Dope
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Dope", mixed media on panel — 48 x36 x 2 inches — 2016. John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layered with his own personal language c...
Mixed Media, Panel
Hare Daze
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Hare Daze", mixed media on panel — 22 x 30 x 2 inches — 2016. "Hare Daze" depicts a silhouetted rabbit mid-sprint. The background is richly textural with a geometric pattern run...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Panel
Not Taught to Fear the Things I Fear
By John Randall Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Not Taught to Fear the Things I Fear", mixed media on panel — 48 x 36 x 2 inches — 2016. John Randall Nelson is an Arizona-based painter and sculptor. Nelson’s works are layer...
Acrylic, Mixed Media, Panel, Wood Panel