Proto-surrealist James Ensor and the fantastical Netherlandish painter Hieronymous Bosch figure as influencers on Chicago Imagist Gladys Nilsson’s odd characters, no surprise, given their pervading oddness and ambiguous identities. This symmetrically arranged meeting of two couples, elderly, possibly blind, and with facial features straight out of a folk tale challenges belief even before spotting the tiny horns tucked into their mouths. Are they communicating in honks? Are they tooting at each other to avoid colliding on the sidewalk? The fun is in the guessing. (A selection of work from 1963 to 1980 is now on view at Matthew Marks Gallery in Chelsea through April 18th).
