Green

Gladys Nilsson was a member of the 1960s Chicago group of Imagists that included also Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, and Roger Brown. Trained at the School of the Art Institute, these artists embraced a cartoon-like, satirical approach inspired by Surrealism and popular culture, in direct contrast to the minimalist aesthetic dominant in New York at the time. Nilsson's subjects are inspired by scenes she observed around her. Here, the title Green refers to "green with envy" as two men vie for the attention of the woman in the center. Nilsson's compositions typically include many figures connected through gestures and glances to suggest some narrative. Her primary medium is watercolor, in which she has developed a precise technique of layering the colors to create a dappling effect.