Nicholas Sistler : Reverence

“REVERENCE,” an exhibition of meticulously created, diminutive paintings, opens Friday, August 6 at Hofheimer Gallery, 4823 N. Damen Ave, and continues through August 28. In each aggressively colored painting, artist Nicholas Sistler fits together a wild assortment of shapes in jigsaw-like fashion. The intimacy of the artwork compels viewers to viscerally experience the miniature worlds (most would fit on a postcard) he has created. The artist will be present for the opening reception Friday, August 6, 2021, 5-8pm

For “REVERENCE,” Sistler has focused on inventive playfulness through an intuitive process developed over decades of practice. "I'm fascinated by optical illusions and how visual information can be ambiguous, first appearing one way, then morphing into something entirely different," says Sistler. “My art is about spaces and spacial distortion. Appearing tiny on an expanse of wall, they counterintuitively enlarge our notions of space and perspective. The precise, diminutive work encourages close inspection, even magnification. Upon being pulled into the work, one discovers sharp detail that demands immersion into the proportionately enormous experience.”  

Sistler treats his exactingly rendered images - both representational and abstract - like advertising, captivating his audience with brilliant colors and meticulous detail, leading them into compositions with beguiling structure.  Each painting balances multiple aspects, details and layers, and the more that people look at a painting, the more they’ll be rewarded. Sistler says, “There are many beautiful and significant things in this world that are small. Those who believe that something must be big to be important are missing a great deal.”

About the Artist

Nicholas Sistler received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute in 1980. He practiced performance art from 1977 to 1985, receiving critical acclaim both locally and nationally. He has received several grants from the Illinois Arts Council, including an Artist's Fellowship Award and four residencies from the Ragdale Foundation. His work has been published as book cover illustrations and greeting cards. His works have appeared in more than 100 exhibitions, including 27 solo shows. His work is in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery of Art, Illinois State Museum, Rockford Art Museum, Block Museum at Northwestern University, DePaul University Art Museum, Elmhurst Art Museum, Otterbein University, and Benedictine University, as well as numerous private collections coast to coast.