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John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

American, b. 1956

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.

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Artist: John Randall Nelson
Dead Eyed Cowboy
Dead Eyed Cowboy

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Ousting Luck
Ousting Luck

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Escape
Escape

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Enchanted by Life Itself
Enchanted by Life Itself

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Trust Me
Trust Me

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Naturally
Naturally

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Wavering Wish
Wavering Wish

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 ...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Rejects the Complexities of Life
Rejects the Complexities of Life

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...

Category

2010s Abstract John Randall Nelson Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

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Hare Daze
Hare Daze

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Hare Daze

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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...

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Not Taught to Fear the Things I Fear

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...

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John Randall Nelson mixed media for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic John Randall Nelson mixed media available for sale on 1stDibs.