C O M M E N T A R Y
By Judith Eisler
"Heidel Vietze's drawings and paintings map a complex emotional terrain of land and space. Looking at the work, one immediately finds oneself placed at a very specific vantage point. Aerial views allow one to navigate the terrain below, or one is on that very terrain, seeing with the awed distance of one who is very, very tiny in the face of such immenseness. A warm and effusive light emanating from the center draws the viewer in. Linear forms, which often seem to be dividing color from color or form from form, appear as loosely defined architectural frameworks through which one can access clear spaces of warm inviting color.
Her application of material, whether it be paint, tape, or joint compound, is thoughtful and deliberate. HV explores the tactile in her lush surfaces but her spaces remain atmospheric and distant. There is a timidity, an uncertainty that hovers in the determination of her marks, but her color, a palette of brilliant oranges, cool citrus greens, warm reds and browns, remains strong and unfazed.
HV's work expands to accommodate a host of logistical and psychological contradictions. The landscape is simultaneously architectonic and topographic. The spaces are both interior and exterior. The vistas and structures are firmly established but they also drift in and out of focus. HV articulates a coherent space where so many opposing impulses and directions coexist harmoniously. Her delicate and nuanced worlds inspire the viewer to traverse the two dimensional surface while questioning ones own relationship to place and self."
- Judith Eisler, Artist, New York City - July 2004