In the Expanse of Nighttime, David Niec

In the Expanse of Nighttime, David Niec
September 28 – October 10, 2018

 

 

David Niec’s lifestyle is built upon examining lunar phenomena; being present in a chosen setting over sequential nights. Under the atmosphere aided only by a flashlight, or in his studio with a collection of memories, Niec captures these spans of time and space, of wonder and mystery through singular paintings and multiple panel installations.

For Niec, painting begins with a sensory experience of the night. Over time, patterns pertaining to the moon reveal themselves to him. In a lunar month or twenty-nine and a half days, the moon goes through a repertoire of phases from new moon, when it is in shadow, to full moon, when it appears as a bright white circle, back to new moon at which point the cycle begins anew. Niec regularly positions himself in nature at specific times to experience these phases. Through a process of mark making and the layering of paint, Niec is able to achieve a depth and intensity of soft transitions between light and shade. His recollections take form on the canvas, and there emerges the knowledge that he has gathered; an intimate understanding of this process, of light in the night sky and the passing of time.

David Niec received a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.