Award-winning photographer Jeffrey David Nicholas first
became fascinated with the art of photography while studying architecture in the late-1960s. Following a year of traditional formal photographic education, which focused principally on black-and- white darkroom technique, he realized that color was his prime motivation. He cited Edward and Brett Weston, Minor White, Paul Caponigro, especially Harry Callahan – who worked brilliantly in both black and white and color – and (of course) Ansel Adams as early black & white influences. Eliot Glass, Brian Eno, Harold Budd and Arvo Part and, of course, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, and Bill Evans.
Nicholas’ imagery was awarded, published, exhibited, and
collected. In the mid-1980s he moved to Yosemite National Park to work at The Ansel Adams Gallery as book-buyer and curator of prints and exhibits. Later he co-founded Sierra Press with several other photographers to launch a line of color photography books celebrating the beauty of America’s National Parks. Ultimately, working with so many of America’s leading landscape photographers led him to question his own photographic intentions and aspirations. For most of the last 10 years he steadily moved away from his earlier style and subject matter: working instead to find his own voice. Nicholas pursued the muse of photography for more than four-and-a-half decades.
In 2013 Jeff had an exhibit titled “WINDOWS and WALLS.” The series included architectural imagery from Puerto Rico, New Orleans, New Mexico and, yes,
Fresno, California. This body of work, according to the artist, represents his intention to un-learn all the “rules” he mastered during the first 30 years of his photographic career. It is work that is not about what the photograph’s subject “is”, but rather “what else” it might be. This work is, arguably, most heavily influenced not by photographers but, rather, by the imagery of abstract expressionist and impressionist painters.
In 2016 Jeff exhibited a series titled “Essence.” In his exhibition statement Jeffrey noted: The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. And Georgia O’Keeffe is quoted as having said:
Nothing is less real than realism…
It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis,
That we get at the real meaning of things.
Finally, the artist/photographer Ralph Gibson was quoted as saying about his own imagery:
I can tell you what it is,
But I cannot tell you what it means.
All I can add to that is: “Ditto.”
We at Spectrum were deeply saddened to lose our long-time member, frequent exhibiting artist, generous donor, and dear friend, Jeff Nicholas. His wish was that any sales of his work benefit our non-profit mission to serve the community. Limited copies of Jeffrey D. Nicholas Memorial Retrospective Exhibition Catalogs will be available at the gallery. Additional copies are available to order.
A reception in honor of Jeffrey D. Nicholas will be held Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 1PM to 4PM. Sharing memories at 2PM.
Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:
ArtHop (1st) Thursdays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
