About
“Nicholas Wyatt’s images, of course, are of things that never happened, but since culture is a structure of belief as well as knowledge, they do happen - but through the process of representation alone. Like stained glass windows, his emblems are ultimately fragments of a narrative. The catch lies in that this narrative is one of ‘presence’.”
Artist, researcher and co-founder Cubitt, London.
Author of ‘The Christian Image and Contemporary British Painting: (the communication of Meaning and Experience in Religious paintings).’
Nicholas Wyatt is a London-based contemporary British artist, researcher, and a founding member of Cubitt London, where he has his studio. He is the author of The Christian Image and Contemporary British Painting: The Communication of Meaning and Experience in Religious Paintings.
Nicholas Wyatt’s paintings combine two systems of thought ordinarily separated by modern secular concepts and values – aesthetics and religion. His work explores themes of presence, reception aesthetics, spirituality and narrative, especially through the lens of Baroque religious iconography, examining how meaning and experience are communicated in painting across time and cultures.
Wyatt has garnered critical acclaim for his figurative paintings, which often draw inspiration from Baroque devotional altarpieces. His work has been exhibited widely in London, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, and is included in collections such as those of the Vatican and the Stadt Sparkasse Bank in Dusseldorf. Wyatt's contributions to contemporary art have been recognized and appreciated by art critics, collectors and film-makers. His ability to blend traditional techniques with contemporary sensibilities has earned his work a distinctive position in contemporary painting practice.
He works across various mediums, including painting, drawing and printmaking. Wyatt's practice encompasses both abstract and figurative painting, and is characterized by expressive brushwork, rich colour palettes and a deep engagement with symbolism. He employs mediums such as oil on canvas, wax on panel, works on paper, drawings and limited edition prints to create pieces that engage with themes of spirituality and reception aesthetics.
Cubitt
Nicholas Wyatt is a founding member of Cubitt, a London-based visual arts organization, which has gained an international reputation and receives public funding.
Nicholas served as Secretary of Cubitt Artists Studios and Gallery from 1991 to 2015. He continues to be a member, working from his studio there. In 1991 Nicholas was one of the original group of artists who founded Cubitt Artists Studios and Gallery, an artist-led co-operative in London, where he still has his own studio.
Now based in Islington, Cubitt Artists has charity status and receives public and institutional funding for its curatorial, exhibition and education programs. Nicholas continues to be involved in its running and development.
Research & Writing
Wyatt is involved in research and writing on art. In 2015 he completed his doctoral research thesis The Christian Image and Contemporary British Painting: The Communication of Meaning and Experience in Religious Paintings at Loughborough University School of the Arts. Wyatt has presented conference papers at institutions including The University of Birmingham (Barber Institute of Fine Arts), Liverpool Cathedral and Loughborough University. As a student member of the Association of Art Historians and under their auspices Nicholas has presented conference papers at institutions including The University of Birmingham Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Liverpool Cathedral and Loughborough University. His conference paper, ‘Capitalism and the Symptom of the Sublime’ was published in Re-Visions Online Journal. Details of these conference proceedings can be found on the Association of Art Historians website. Wyatt has also delivered talks on his work at Bath Spa and Loughborough Universities.
His research employs painting practice as an experimental and investigative tool to explore the capacity of practical aesthetics to evoke similar or analogous experiences to the non-dualist reception aesthetics found in key examples of post-Tridentine (1563) Catholic Counter-Reformation devotional imagery – particularly The Ecstasy of St. Theresa (1647-1652) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and The Incarnation (1596-1600) by El Greco.
An interpretative method is applied to the development of Christian imagery in post-Reformation painting, examining its relationship to the economic system of modern capitalism and the Enlightenment aesthetic of the sublime, a connection examined in his paper ‘Capitalism and the Symptom of the Sublime’.
His research explores whether the meanings and experiences embedded in the affective aesthetics of Counter-Reformation imagery can be reconstructed or re-generated through the ‘religio-aesthetic’ of his painting practice, generating experiences similar to those original pre-Enlightenment, non-dualist forms of perception.
Art & Practice
Artistic Practice and Style
Nicholas Wyatt’s work is distinguished by a unique fusion of the traditional and the contemporary. His paintings investigate how the transmission of meaning and experience found in certain historic forms of Christian post-reformation painting can be reimagined or reproduced in the present day.
His practice spans both figurative and abstract painting, alongside works on paper, drawings and limited-edition digital prints. He employs a vibrant and expressive brushwork, with rich and often contrasting colour palettes, imbuing his work with emotional intensity and visual resonance.
‘The experience I aim to generate in my paintings is an affective and experiential narrative of presence, – Eliot’s “unity of thought, feeling and action”, which I argue is found in the meaning and experience of those key Christian devotional images.’
Wyatt’s paintings explore profound themes, including:
Narratives of Presence: His work investigates how presence and narrative are communicated through visual art. Drawing on Baroque religious iconography, he engages with the reception aesthetics of devotional imagery by artists such as Bernini, Caravaggio and El Greco. Through both abstract and figurative forms, Wyatt explores how these visual languages can be reinterpreted, probing the concept of presence while examining the intersection of religious tradition and contemporary aesthetics.
Religion and Spirituality: Religious and spiritual themes are central to Wyatt's practice. He reinterprets traditional Christian imagery, using it as a lens to delve into contemporary aesthetic and conceptual concerns. His use of symbolism and hidden meanings invites deep contemplation and interpretation.
Landscape and Metaphor: The natural world is another recurring motif in his work, often serving as a metaphor for spiritual journeys and personal reflection.
Expression and Symbolism
Wyatt’s style is heavily influenced by expressionist painting. His dynamic use of colour, distorted forms and loose brushstrokes heighten the emotional and symbolic dimensions of his work. His compositions frequently include symbolic imagery, which contributes to their intellectual and emotional depth, encouraging viewers to engage on multiple levels.
Notable Works
Wyatt’s oeuvre includes several notable series of paintings that exemplify his thematic focus and artistic style:
‘Annunciation’ Series: These works reimagine the biblical event of the Annunciation through the incorporation of contemporary visual references. Ethereal figures and symbolic imagery are juxtaposed with imagery from contemporary sources such as fashion photography and cinema, creating a dynamic interplay between the sacred and the secular.
‘Walking in Memphis’ Series: A body of work inspired by the famous pop song of the same name, exploring themes of memory, loss and redemption.
‘Pentecost: (the Crystals)’, ‘Resurrection at Eldena’, ‘Jerusalem and ‘The Lonely Protestant’: These works further investigate the intersections of religion, culture and narratives of presence.
‘Hop Pickers’: A series of paintings that depict Kent hop workers and draw surprising alignments with devotional imagery.
Artistic Significance
Nicholas Wyatt’s ability to merge traditional techniques with contemporary sensibilities has earned his work a distinctive position within the art world. His work engages deeply with the concept of presence and the communication of meaning across time and cultures. Through his innovative approach, Wyatt bridges the gap between historical religious art and modern aesthetics, offering fresh perspectives on enduring themes.
Nicholas Wyatt's Art in Context
Nicholas Wyatt’s work is part of a broader tradition in British art that explores the relationship between the contemporary and the historical, the religious and the secular. This thematic concern can be traced through figures such as William Blake, the Pre-Raphaelites and Burne-Jones. It continues in the work of modernist artists like Cecil Collins and Stanley Spencer, as well as contemporary practitioners including Tracey Emin, George Shaw and Chris Ofili, all of whom engage with religious themes through both traditional and modern lenses. Wyatt sought to foreground this artistic impulse when, in 2000, he co-curated 'The Wreck of Hope' exhibition at The Nunnery Gallery, London, together with the artist and writer Simon Morley and artist Edward Chell. This exhibition emerged from a series of discussions on the legacy of German Romanticism in contemporary British art Wyatt and his colleagues had hosted under the auspices of The Friedrich Society, which the three had founded. Nicholas Wyatt’s art is distinguished by its exploration of narratives of presence and the ways in which meaning and affective experience are communicated through religious paintings.
Over the past two decades this theme has re-emerged in contemporary British art, with artists such as Tracey Emin and Chris Ofili incorporating Christian references in their work. Wyatt’s practice specifically investigates how religious paintings – particularly Baroque iconography – can convey meaning and experience, drawing on both historical and contemporary aesthetics.
His religio-aesthetic approach aims to reconstruct or reawaken the non-dualist meanings and experiences found in pre-Enlightenment devotional art. Through this lens, Wyatt’s art uses painting as a contemporary visual system to intervene in and reimagine the relationship between religion and aesthetics.
Nicholas Wyatt's position within contemporary art practice can be understood through these key aspects:
Exploration of Narrative and Presence:
His paintings, which range from abstract to figurative styles, explore how narratives of presence are conveyed through painting
He is especially interested in the reception aesthetics of Baroque religious iconography, drawing on its emotive and spiritual intensity to inform his practice.
Academic and Practical Integration:
He combines his art practice with academic research, holding a PhD on The Christian Image and Contemporary British Painting. This indicates a deep engagement with the theoretical and historical contexts of painting on Wyatt’s part.
This combination of academic research and practical application of painting locates his work within a contemporary practice that often crosses boundaries between theory and production.
Engagement with Historical and Contemporary Themes:
His work demonstrates an ongoing dialogue between historical art – particularly religious iconography – and contemporary artistic expression.
His work and curating activities show a clear engagement with the legacy of German Romanticism and abstraction within contemporary painting.
Curatorial and Collaborative Work:
He has curated international exhibitions and collaborated with other artists, showcasing his involvement in the broader art community.
His involvement with the founding of Cubitt, an artist run gallery and studios and its continuing development shows his dedication to the support of contemporary art practice.
In essence, Nicholas Wyatt's work occupies a space where historical artistic traditions intersect with contemporary painting practices, one that is marked by both intellectual inquiry and artistic creation.
