The Lionel Rombach Gallery is honored to present NYX: The Collective, an exhibition of Nyx’s latest series of work explores the imaginative relationship between terms of venery and the perception of the collective nouns.
Nyx’s inspiration for “The Collective” series came from terms of venery. These are the nouns that denote groups of animals, many of which have fanciful names: a nuisance of kittens, a trip of goats, a glint of fish. Many of these group names can be traced back to Juliana Berner who gave animals imaginative names in “The Book of Saint Albans” published in 1486.
In the same manner that Juliana used animal characteristics to assign group names, Nyx attempts to elicit a sensory response to a group of animals by using visual abstractions. By abstracting and celebrating characteristics rather than specific shapes or colors, Nyx creates an investigative journey for herself, rather than a representational destination. She does this in the hopes of visually capturing the essence of Juliana’s collective nouns of venery.
Nyx is a Tucson based artist and a University of Arizona alumni. This exhibition is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Lionel Rombach Endowment, and the University of Arizona School of Art.