J. Scott Nicol is America’s premier photorealist and pop culture fine oil painter of books. He is a novelty in the art world, not just because of what he paints but how exacting and truly remarkable his three-dimensional “books” appear to be in solid form. From former graphic arts and media designer to textile company co-owner, Nicol delved into painting photorealism a mere fifteen years ago.
He loves to read, and his personal collection of over one thousand mostly first-edition, books are displayed proudly in his home. Located a few feet from his own library rests an easel and a revolving line up of fresh canvases and oil paints, brushes of all sizes, a soft rag to wipe away the extra paint and a folder of images of famous Pop Culture icons who have made and will continue to affect each of our lives. To define his style, one needs to see first-hand his artwork. Each piece is an extraordinary and carefully painted image placed either on the spine of a book that has never existed or on the cover of one who has been loved by generations of avid readers.
Nicol has graced numerous art publications such as Art Business News and Progressive Art for he has clearly redefined photorealism. As a Rutgers University graduate of fine art in Nineteen Seventy-nine, Nicol’s well positioned background helped him evolve into a brilliant oil painter. As a person, Nicol is quiet and methodical, gentle in spirit and definitive in how he immortalizes his themes. When not designing and painting thematic book spines, Nicol recreates the front covers of the classics such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” by duplicating them with such finite detail, all of his collectors rave about his “Books on a Shelf” for their lifelike qualities.
Nicol’s list of commission collectors continues to grow and it includes Oprah Winfrey, Lil Wayne, Jim Plunkett, Drew Carry, University of Notre Dame and numerous NY Times best-selling authors, including David Baldacci. His accomplishments as an artist spans over four decades. As a fine oil painter, he was chosen as the first artist to ever be selected by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to create a series of paintings to commemorate their “First Performances.” Gaining an immediate recognition as a budding artist at The Kennedy Center, Nicol next took to Broadway. With a literal ‘stroke’ of genius he created a series of paintings using books, specific objects and sheet music to pay homage to the top Broadway musicals of all time. The books used in the Broadway paintings inspired his next series, books. Painting each book on a shelf, this series provides the illusion that the book is resting on a wooden shelf.
Nicol has created over a hundred paintings to date, and over four-hundred fifty book spines. Each one is a who’s who of popular culture and their iconic images run the gamut of sheer brilliance including: The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Shakespeare, and Marilyn Monroe, just to name a few. Nicol’s “Open book,” “Sophisticated Pop,” and his TV series adds even more dimension to his existing work. For a fine art collector, this is what places an artist like Nicol on the forefront of creativity. With ongoing themes to follow, Nicol’s paintings are undeniably profound and highly collectable. His work may be acquired as an original oil painting or as a limited edition giclee, depending on the piece. Nicol’s artwork is on display in fine galleries across America and collected internationally with commission work available by appointment.
