Dazzle 13 (Joining a Circus), 36 in. x 48in., oil on canvas, 2025

Nicole Maynard creates paintings, drawings, digital drawings, and tabletop games exploring the intersection between agency and chance. Maynard is fascinated by all aspects of painting and the qualities unique to the medium. In games, she finds the interplay of visual iconography, signs, interactive tactile components, and player psychology equally fascinating. Designing social experiences with concepts related to her paintings and life experiences places her games in the realm of participatory art. Art historical connections include Sol Lewitt’s wall drawings that give instructions for others to execute and Joseph Cornell’s assemblages of found objects inside boxes. She is indebted to Marcel Duchamp for his impact on art and his passion for chess.