Luceo

Artist Nicole Chesney (American, Born 1971)

Date2019

Dimensions48 × 96 × 1 in. (121.9 × 243.8 × 2.5 cm)

MediumOil painting on acid etched and mirrored glass

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Joseph A. Chazan, MD in honor of Victoria Veh

Object number

2020.41

Not on View

DescriptionWhite oil-paint on mirrored and etched plate glass in three panels

Label TextWarm breath on cool glass, the play of cast shadows and light on a wall, falling feathers, a whisper—mysterious, gentle signs of life that invoke visceral, emotive responses. I imbue my paintings with their own distinct vitality similar to these subtle, often unnoticed whispers. — Nicole Chesney Created from layers of oil paint on etched, mirrored glass, Nicole Chesney’s multi-paneled painting is like a mysterious and constantly changing landscape. Luceo, meaning bright star or light, was commissioned for the Toledo Museum of Art. For this painting, Chesney experimented for the first time with stacking and layering glass panels rather than displaying them side by side. Chesney’s work explores the relationship between light and space and between perception and imagination. As a mirror beckons the viewer’s lingering gaze, Chesney’s cloud-like surface draws our attention to the enigmatic surface, offering a dreamlike space for acute observation or quiet contemplation. Her work is inspired by the subtle marks made by abstract painter Agnes Martin (1912–2004; see her painting in the Wolfe Gallery), the harmonious quality of light created by artist James Abbott McNeil Whistler (1834–1903; see a painting by him in Gallery 30B), and the enveloping fields of color found in Mark Rothko’s (1903–1970) paintings.