Inside out 

Curator: Here we have Nigel Van Wieck’s acrylic painting titled, "Inside Out". Editor: My first thought? Urban voyeurism with a touch of melancholy, like a Hopper painting through a contemporary lens. That window, that frame… Curator: Yes, the window acts as a proscenium arch, staging an intimate scene within a cityscape, doesn’t it? Think about the use of windows in art—revealing and concealing, alluding to psychological boundaries. Editor: Absolutely. The people inside seem so self-contained, unaware of the observer – us, presumably – which heightens the sense of alienation. And yet there's a compelling sense of connection – that muted drama pulling us closer. It's intriguing, this inside/outside tension, amplified by that stark lighting and what look like reflections? Curator: Indeed. That duality is a hallmark of figurative painting engaging with the urban landscape; here, it's emphasized through color choices— the muted, earthy tones outside against the slightly heightened reds and blues within the interior. Van Wieck explores the idea of looking beyond a facade. The graffiti-art and street art tag also suggest how boundaries and identities intersect. Editor: Facades, absolutely! You know, I find myself wondering about the unseen narratives here. The champagne glasses on the tray-- celebration or awkward gathering? That figure outside in the bottom of the frame—lost or invisible to the scene inside? All these micro-stories buzzing, creating this wonderful open-ended narrative. And that muted color palette lends this such an old world almost wistful aura, too. Curator: And the window becomes a key structural device here; it's about memory and about liminality, how we pass through public and private lives... and what gets left on the windowpane. Van Wieck manages to touch something familiar while letting so much remain unspoken. Editor: It is lovely—evokes a moment frozen but humming with unrealized connections. "Inside Out"-- quite a smart title.