Katie Neece (b. 1989 in South Bend, IN)
Using traditional oil painting techniques that emphasize a nuanced physical approach and meticulous material handling, my work integrates imagery derived from computer graphics software and related digital artifacts. I construct an artificial pictorial space by employing gradients, drop shadows, and flat areas to create an illusionistic environment that reflects the conventions of digital screens and representations of space. By choosing to depict these digital constructions, I aim to highlight both technological advancements and the evolving history of painting.
My artistic language draws upon geometric abstraction found in the early 20th-century European avant-garde, while also engaging with the aesthetic of 1990s American malls, pop culture, and design. I utilize these forms as references to an inherent optimism for a utopian future that has failed to materialize. This re-contextualization serves as a means to illustrate how the past continuously reminds us of the future’s failure in the form of haunting.