John Nixon Groups + Pairs 2016 2020 has been published alongside the exhibition of the same name at Anna Schwartz Gallery.

Nixons works are mostly made in groups or series, even though they are individual, solo paintings. Singular objects, they are made in accordance with specific parameters which define one group from another. For example, in this exhibition, a group of constructed paintings has a conceptual basis around the use of various lengths of timber that are intuitively organised across the surface of the MDF in different geometric permutations. Similarly, a group of white paintings on canvas and hessian panels are joined together to form variations on shape and structure.

The exhibition also features paired paintings, sometimes made in groups as previously but in this format displayed side-by-side. The first paired paintings were made in 2016 and this process is continuous. Many different rules of engagement are applied in the making and visual attributes of each pair. Some are simple, some, complex. Both minimal and maximal concerns within Nixons practice create an internal dialogue and are displayed here in evidence of his ongoing dedication to geometric abstraction.

84 pages, 23.5 x 17 cm, softcover, Schwartz City (Melbourne).