Edge of Nowhere

With a focus on the sublime, Zachariah Rieke's paintings depict the self and the external world. In Edge of Nowhere, Rieke's nonconventional use of materials and layering of gesso on raw canvas transforms the depth of the picture plane and speaks to the complexity of nuance. An object that suggests multitudes of layered methods, materials, and thought processes, Edge of Nowhere is an artifact of Rieke's making. The base of raw canvas reflects this additive process, featuring layered, ghost-like topographies in shades of gray. In the foreground, a deft stroke of black marks the titular edge, bleeding across the canvas and dragging itself toward the lower end of the picture plane. Accomplished only by rotation of the canvas and the pulling of pigment with a broom, this gesture evidences Rieke's movement-based practice and affection for nontraditional methods of working.