THE TIGHT FIVE: JONNY NIESCHE
As we anticipate the return of First Thursdays Queenstown we’re asking artists five questions about their practice. This week we interview Jonny Niesche, an artist known for his lushly seductive and mesmerising surfaces.
When in your practice did it all click?
Late one night in the studio I was experimenting with glitter and paint and in the soft light the glitter sparkled as I moved, responding to the changing angle of light. It was that moment I realised I wanted to make work about fairies. No just kidding, it was that moment I realised I wanted to make work that was always changing and shifting as you navigated it, never sitting still like a static two–dimensional painting
Your paintings, sculptures, and light boxes are seductive to be in front of. How do you explore space, colour, and sensation in your practice?
I utilise materials like transparent fabrics and mirrors that reflect the viewer in the work, that play with the viewer’s perception. I am interested in our core responses to colour and experience, that cut away all the noise of the every day.
Your work draws on popular culture, what are you draw to and why?
I am interested in the idea of desire and our relationship to it. A lot of my references come from fashion and from idols like rock stars and fashion icons. Colour has such a deep impact in the way we respond to it. I was transfixed as a kid in the cosmetics section of a department store because of the seductive colours specifically designed to beautify, to make you sexier, more desirable. So in my work I take digital samples of artist’s make up from their album covers, like Debbie Harry or David Bowie, as reference points to create new colour palettes and combinations.
What’s your biggest barrier to being an artist?
Sydney is expensive so studio rent is very high. Plus you need a lot of time in the studio, making, researching, trying things out. But you need income to pay for the studio and materials. So you often need to work in other jobs to pay for these. But then you end up working a lot and have less time in the studio. A tricky cycle. Also to be seen and heard can be very tough. How do you find the right platform to show your work? How do you get shows with nothing on your CV? I could go on for ages, art is a tough gig!
Your works are known for their beauty and urban allure. What role does sensuality play in your practice?
I think as a society we have an obsession with desire, with sex and beauty. The desire for escape to this unattainable, ultimate place or experience. I make work that I want to see, to feel and experience and I think this carries through in the work.
