Award-winning artists Rob Gonsalves and J. Scott Nicol will be featured by Huckleberry Fine Art from March 22-25 at Artexpo New York, the world’s largest fine art trade show for over 33 years.
Award-winning artists Rob Gonsalves and J. Scott Nicol will be featured by Huckleberry Fine Art from March 22-25 at Artexpo New York, the world’s largest fine art trade show for over 33 years.
Huckleberry owner Boots Harris, who has exhibited at the show for 16 years, will display the works of his top artists at booth A105 and A107. Fine art collectors are invited to meet the artists in person and watch as superstar Nicol demonstrates his creative process. Artexpo New York will be at Pier 92, New York City’s renowned “Art & Design Pier” on the Hudson—adjacent to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 92.
Rob Gonsalves, recognized as the most famous living surrealist painter in North America, is the recipient of the Governor General’s Award, Canada’s most prestigious award for fine art. Gonsalves’ work injects a sense of magic into realistic scenes by transforming mundane forms into flights of fancy, representing the desire to believe in the impossible. His popularity has exploded over the past decade: even in this economy, Gonsalves still has a three-year waiting list for his original paintings, and his equity in the art market has risen by an astounding 2800 percent. Gonsalves’ stunning painting, “The Sun Sets Sail,” is featured on the cover of Masters of Deception—Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusion (Sterling, 2007), in which he is compared to those iconic surrealist masters in a chapter devoted to his work. He is the illustrator of the Simon & Schuster series Imagine a Day, Imagine a Night, and Imagine a Place; and of the Master of Illusion 2011 wall calendar (Sellers publishing).
J. Scott Nicol is seen in premier galleries across the country. Like Gonsalves, Nicol also has a lengthy waiting list. Throughout his career, whether in commercial or fine art, Nicol has always told a story with his paintings. In his latest series, he constructs shelves of invented book spines, which stand as libraries of cultural memory. (See: Mega Pop II by J. Scott Nicol)
Photorealistic in style, each oil painting captures the three dimensionality and physicality of an old and well-loved book, includingwear, tears and occasional scotch tape. Each dynamic piece showcases an era, a place, or a philosophy, featuring a diversity of cultural touchstones: these include pop culture icons like Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles, sports legends like Joe Namath, historical arts figures like Vermeer and Shakespeare, and cultural landmarks like the Statue of Liberty. His related series of first edition covers portrays literary classics, such as The Old Man and The Sea, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Atlas Shrugged.
Nicol, who creates commission pieces based on the collector’s input, will be painting live at the show. His latest book spines piece, “Mega Pop II,” features a vibrant juxtaposition of iconic Pop artists, spanning the art historical period from Warhol’s Marilyn and Mickey Mouse to Mel Ramos’ femme fatale and Lichtenstein’s explosive WWII aerial dog fight.
Huckleberry owner Boots Harris said
Other publishers come and go, but Gonsalves is still here … He and Nicol are the main reason I’ve taken a 50-foot booth.
Other publishers come and go, but Gonsalves is still here … He and Nicol are the main reason I’ve taken a 50-foot booth. 
Also exhibiting in Harris’ booth will be photorealistic painter John Payne, and expressionistic animal painter Bob Ransley. According to Harris, “These gifted artists sell art faster than they paint, which is unusual in the current economy.”
Artexpo New York
Artexpo is the world’s largest fine art trade show, providing dealers with access to thousands of innovative works from artists and publishers in one single venue. Over its 33-year history, Artexpo New York has hosted many of the world’s most renowned artists, including Andy Warhol, Peter Max, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Indiana, Keith Haring, Leroy Neiman, and Rob Gonsalves.
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