BY CELIA MCGEE

Nigel van Wieck spent much of the 1990s painting portraits, and it shows. Not in the sense that his works in "Dancers," at the Beadleston Gallery, are actual likenesses. The scenes are invented and seem to take place anywhere from the Roaring Twenties to only last night. Their concentrated abandon and hilarity populate a nightlife of clubs, ballrooms, exotic dives, torchlit townhouses the artist conjures by fusing different places and times, styles of art and fashion.

But a decade of pinning high-society subjects with psychological precision means that Van Wieck, an Englishman living in New York, can cut to the heart of atmosphere.

In "Winter's Dance," which outlines a glamorous couple in this case, African-American against a window, the tropical mood is the opposite of the title. That suggests a chilly decorum, while the pair, as in many of Van Wieck's paintings, is locked in a steamy sashay blending romance and violence.

Lots of his pictures are of revelers wearing masks, not disguising their emotions so much as illustrating a need to hide. In "Liar," a headdress sprouts black wings like a bird of prey's. There's just enough tension in the lighthearted air to imply that Van Wieck's frequent mix of races, genders, classes and sexual proclivities happens only with the aid of costuming and after dark.

And who wouldn't want to go there? Van Wieck choreographs two art forms painting and dance so they dip and twirl, caress and carouse, as one

WINTERS DANCE pastel on paper 32 x 40

Comments

masquedemiroir Man, i so want to start painting! (ohwells, i want to attend oil painting classes too) gosh, time for me to head down to Artfriend to buy the materials and big canvas to paint! HEHEE i can’t wait! :D

shadedblue probably the coolest thing I’ve come across all day!!!oh, and dreamhard, I like this.

jessabelle It’s simply fascinating, and his work is sticky hot. Thank you, Nigel!

dirtyrose A gorgeous video . I love the way the vibrant colors and shading come out from such a beautiful dusky base color.

DEESSE DU SOIR pastel 22 x 30

JACK OF HEARTS pastel on paper 30 x 22

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE pastel on paper 22 x 30

MASKED pastel on paper 30 x 22

DANCING WITH DANCERS pastel 22 x 30

CUT THE RUG pastel on paper 22 x 30

FANCY DRESS pastel on paper 30 x 22

RED WHITE AND BLACK pastel 30 x 22

TANGO LESSON pastel 30 x 22

LIVE MUSIC pastel on paper 30 x 22

LOVE THE NIGHT pastel on paper 30 x 22

BELLE OF THE BALL pastel 22 x 30

LOOK THE LOOK pastel on paper 22 x 30

LOOK THE LOOK (study) pastel 12x16

STEPPING OUT pastel on paper 30 x 22

DESERT DANCE pastel 30 x 22

DESERT DANCE study pastel 16 x 12

LIAR pastel on paper 30 x 22

DISCO DIVAS study pastel 12 x 17

CALL IT A DAY oil on canvas 40 x 32

HALL0WEEN pastel on paper 22 x 30

SWING pastel on paper 22 x 30

A NIGHT AT EL GATO LOCO pastel on paper 32 x 22

ODILE ODDETE pastel on paper 30 x 22

LIGHTS OUT pastel 22 x 30

FRED AND GINGER pastel on paper 40 x 32