Between Two Worlds: The Art of Nicholas Lucius

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

“Between Two Worlds: The Art of Nicholas Lucius” was my contribution to the January issue of Artborne Magazine.  This article celebrates the immense talent of artist Nicholas Lucius, from Tampa, FL, and was a joy to write.  Below is a brief excerpt and I encourage you to read the entire article at http://www.ArtborneMagazine.com.  Be sure to seek out and connect with Nicholas as he is always creating new work.

“Nicholas Lucius is evolving. This evolution is exponential. In just two short years, there has been a distinct and obvious difference between pieces from his new series, Explicit Beauty, and pieces from 2014. The art historical references are there. The colors akin to a “hallucinatory rush of adrenaline” are there. Yet, something is different. Before labeling those differences “maturity,” one must look closer.

In the 2016 piece, Bleached Beautiful, Lucius forces the viewer to focus on the figure and only the figure. Drawing from his art historical arsenal, he utilizes a “classical female nude”—probably one the viewer has seen a hundred times over in places already forgotten. She sits on a technicolor cloth against a background of erratic shading. She is recognizable yet nameless at the same time. With her face obscured by a patterned object, a motif seen repeatedly in Lucius’ new work, the viewer must acquiesce that she cannot be identified.”

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.