Vale John Nixon: A giant with a huge creative footprint
Rigorous of mind, generous of spirit - Melbourne artist John Nixon touched a generation of artists and leaves a legacy of Australian abstraction that will shape contemporary art dialogue for years to come.
Groups + Pairs 2016 – 2020, Installation view, Anna Schwartz Gallery. Image courtesy the gallery.
Tributes have flooded social media channels this week, as news hit that Melbourne artist John Nixon passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning (18 August) after a year-long struggle with leukaemia.
Nixon (b.1949) was 70.
He was deeply celebrated as an influential Australian abstract artist, and leading exponent of radical modernism, constructivism and non-objective art. He was also an incredible mentor, teacher and collaborator – touching several generations in the art scene with his rigour and generosity.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
