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New Drawings

When I begin to draw, I have no idea what's going to
appear. I work swiftly, to stay just ahead of the cage
of language, the linear mind and rational decision-making.
I just let the forms grow themselves—self-organize...

–Nicola Tyson

Nicola Tyson, Picassoidosis Diagnosis

Nicola Tyson

Picassoidosis Diagnosis

2020

Graphite on paper

6.87 x 9 inches

17.4 x 22.9 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Despondent Bouquet, Confusing Vase

Nicola Tyson

Despondent Bouquet, Confusing Vase

2020

Graphite on paper

6.75 x 6.87 inches

17.1 x 17.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Doggid

Nicola Tyson

Doggid

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 9.25 inches

17.8 x 23.5 cm

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Nicola Tyson, Getting a Leg Up

Nicola Tyson

Getting a Leg Up

2020

Graphite on paper

7.6 x 7.6 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, The Spectator

Nicola Tyson

The Spectator

2020

Graphite on paper

7.5 x 7.6 inches

19.1 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Molting

Nicola Tyson

Molting

2020

Graphite on paper

7.6 x 7.6 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Fold

Nicola Tyson

Fold

2020

Graphite on paper

7.6 x 7.6 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Eye to Eye

Nicola Tyson

Eye to Eye

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 11 inches

17.8 x 27.9 cm

$3,500

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Nicola Tyson, Too Leaves

Nicola Tyson

Too Leaves

2020

Graphite on paper

7.6 x 7.6 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Bookay

Nicola Tyson

Bookay

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Out for a Stroll with Self

Nicola Tyson

Out for a Stroll with Self

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Blades

Nicola Tyson

Blades

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Warm Greeting

Nicola Tyson

Warm Greeting

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Three

Nicola Tyson

Three

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Stumped

Nicola Tyson

Stumped

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Touching the Dog Nevertheless

Nicola Tyson

Touching the Dog Nevertheless

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 9.25 inches

17.8 x 23.5 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Into the Woods, Out of the Woods

Nicola Tyson

Into the Woods, Out of the Woods

2020

Graphite on paper

7.56 x 7.63 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Studying the Sky

Nicola Tyson

Studying the Sky

2020

Graphite on paper

7.56 x 7.63 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Field Flowers

Nicola Tyson

Field Flowers

2020

Graphite on paper

6.12 x 6.87 inches

15.5 x 17.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Gloria Steinem's Hair

Nicola Tyson

Gloria Steinem's Hair

2020

Graphite on paper

7.56 x 7.63 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Outdoors

Nicola Tyson

Outdoors

2020

Graphite on paper

7.56 x 7.63 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Tandem Butterfly

Nicola Tyson

Tandem Butterfly

2020

Graphite on paper

7.5 x 7.38 inches

19.1 x 18.7 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Dubious Handshake #2

Nicola Tyson

Dubious Handshake #2

2020

Graphite on paper

7.56 x 7.63 inches

19.2 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Saturday Afternoon Fever

Nicola Tyson

Saturday Afternoon Fever

2020

Graphite on paper

9.38 x 8 inches

23.8 x 20.3 cm

$2,500

Nicola Tyson, Buds

Nicola Tyson

Buds

2020

Graphite on paper

9.37 x 7 inches

23.8 x 17.8 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Holding Hands #1

Nicola Tyson

Holding Hands #1

2020

Graphite on paper

5.25 x 8.5 inches

13.3 x 21.6 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Middle Parting

Nicola Tyson

Middle Parting

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.5 inches

19.4 x 19.1 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Routine Dance

Nicola Tyson

Routine Dance

2020

Graphite on paper

8.44 x 6.44 inches

21.4 x 16.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, The Hug

Nicola Tyson

The Hug

2020

Graphite on paper

5.25 x 8.5 inches

13.3 x 21.6 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Mutual Attraction

Nicola Tyson

Mutual Attraction

2020

Graphite on paper

9.38 x 7 inches

23.8 x 17.8 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Mussel Up

Nicola Tyson

Mussel Up

2020

Graphite on paper

8.37 x 6.5 inches

21.3 x 16.5 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Holding Hands #2

Nicola Tyson

Holding Hands #2

2020

Graphite on paper

7.63 x 7.63 inches

19.4 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Clunky Butterflies

Nicola Tyson

Clunky Butterflies

2020

Graphite on paper

7.5 x 7.62 inches

19.1 x 19.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Rain Smock

Nicola Tyson

Rain Smock

2020

Graphite on paper

8.25 x 5.87 inches

21 x 14.9 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Seeing It

Nicola Tyson

Seeing It

2020

Graphite on paper

9.25 x 7 inches

23.5 x 17.8 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Today's Dance Move

Nicola Tyson

Today's Dance Move

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 9.18 inches

17.8 x 23.3 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Snog #2

Nicola Tyson

Snog #2

2020

Graphite on paper

6.75 x 6.87 inches

17.1 x 17.4 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Creature with a Frottaged Hind Leg

Nicola Tyson

Creature with a Frottaged Hind Leg

2020

Graphite on paper

6 x 9.43 inches

15.2 x 24 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Necker

Nicola Tyson

Necker

2020

Graphite on paper

9.37 x 8 inches

23.8 x 20.3 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Eye Holes

Nicola Tyson

Eye Holes

2020

Graphite on paper

9.37 x 7 inches

23.8 x 17.8 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Wee Rider

Nicola Tyson

Wee Rider

2020

Graphite on paper

5.75 x 8.25 inches

14.6 x 21 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Gloom Bloom

Nicola Tyson

Gloom Bloom

2020

Graphite on paper

6.81 x 6.81 inches

17.3 x 17.3 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Upward Dog

Nicola Tyson

Upward Dog

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 9.38 inches

17.8 x 23.8 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Tiny Handbag

Nicola Tyson

Tiny Handbag

2020

Graphite on paper

5.25 x 8.12 inches

13.3 x 20.6 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Double Bird

Nicola Tyson

Double Bird

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 9.25 inches

17.8 x 23.5 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Eggless

Nicola Tyson

Eggless

2020

Graphite on paper

5.75 x 8.25 inches

14.6 x 21 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Fear Not Loathing

Nicola Tyson

Fear Not Loathing

2020

Graphite on paper

7 x 9.25 inches

17.8 x 23.5 cm

$2,500

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Nicola Tyson, Too Fish

Nicola Tyson

Too Fish

2020

Graphite on paper

6.87 x 6.75 inches

17.4 x 17.1 cm

$2,500

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Recent Work

Nicola Tyson's paintings and drawings for which she is internationally known, involving figures, animals, and plants, often share an uncanny precision of line or detail that seem to anchor what would otherwise seem like a momentarily described, freely associative, expression of a person or form. A fine, wayward tension in her work is held in balance, through observation, emotion and subjectivity, compressed into deceptively simple lines and flat, rich, bright colors.

Text by Sascha Behrendt

About Tyson

Nicola Tyson is a British-born artist based in the United States. She is represented by Petzel gallery in New York and Sadie Coles HQ in London. Her work is held in the collections of major museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and the Tate Modern, London, amongst others.

Nicola Tyson’s Angsty Pencil Drawings Perfectly Capture Our Uncertain Times

Read More on Elephant

Elephant: You have previously said that your works explore “psycho-figuration”. Do you express your own psychology in these pieces, or are you tapping into a more universal feeling?

Tyson: It’s not a direct expression of my own psychology. When I stopped working so much with theory, I wanted to tap into something beyond language. Rather than being directly expressive, I use it as a source to make interesting forms. I’m too British, or skeptical, to be completely expressive! Humour is very important and I always try to use it temper any pretension that might come up. Humour delivers unfamiliar stuff in a friendly way, and it also goes past language, past that part of your brain to somewhere deeper. I don’t want to put that deep psychological stuff into words; I want to just drag it up, straight out, and make an image that creates some cognitive dissonance.

Elephant: Is your process quite instinctive then?

Tyson: My drawing is totally intuitive. When I start, I really don’t know what’s going to come up. It’s like putting a pencil on one part of your insides, and then just drawing it out, like a map, and not knowing what is going to unfurl in front of you. That is the excitement for me: not knowing where it is going. My painting is much more deliberate, because of the nature of it; it’s much slower.