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Song of Origin and Return A curiosity about the nature of desire, inherent in creation, inspired this body of work which is based in particular on Hindu mythology. Amongst a plethora of versions, I settled on the image of Shiva and Shakti, engaged in their eternal dance: opposite yet complimentary, separate yet unified. Shiva resides in the primordial stillness. He is the changeless background of pure consciousness and potential, in whom arose a desire to manifest, through the active, creative power of Shakti, the feminine principle. From her efforts the manifest world and the cyclic continuum of maya were formed, at the same time distracting and obscuring our link to original wholeness. Albeit in this realm of thought it is possible to journey back, completing the cycle. Just as sound/vibration is seen as an originating vehicle in this process of manifestation, I utilized a diagrammatic version of measuring sound waves as a formal element in these paintings, as a means to convey the cycle of origin and return. V A L E R I E N I E L S E N C u r r i c u l u m V i t a e B i o g r a p h y 1967 Born, Hamilton, New Zealand 1990 Graduated from Ilam School of Fine Arts, Canterbury University, New Zealand 1991 Awarded QE II Arts Council First Show Grant 1992 Overseas travel (self funded) – touring through USA and Europe visiting major museums, galleries and art historical sites, Whitney Biennale, Venice Biennale 1996 Travel to Australia – Sydney Biennale 1997 Artist talk, in conjunction with installation ‘Music Unheard’ at Lopdell House Gallery Lecturing Year One core Curriculum Drawing and Design at Waikato Polytechnic Awarded Creative New Zealand Professional Development Grant Travel to Documenta, Venice Biennale, Munster Outdoor Exhibition 1998 Art Research travel in USA (Agnes Martin) 1999 Travel in Europe and USA, Venice Biennale, Berlin Art Fair, FIAC (Paris), London, Liverpool Biennale, NewYork 2008 Currently living and painting in Taos, New Mexico, USA E x h i b i t i o n s 2008 Song of Origin and Return (solo) Fenix Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, USA 2007 Kali Dreams (solo) Box Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2004 Oceania (solo) Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand The Green Grass is Singing Fenix Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, USA Juice Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Full House Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 2003 Fire in the Water (solo) Box Gallery, Santa fe, New Mexico, USA Contemporary Art/Taos Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, New Mexico, USA Group Show New Grounds Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, USA Shine Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Small Works Show All Points Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, USA 2002 Elements (solo) Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 2001 SITE Unseen 2 James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Painting is Dead Plan B Evolving Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Group Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 2000 Veriditas (solo) Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Sky Screen (installation) Fenix Galley, Taos, New Mexico, USA Group show Jaquelin Loyd Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, USA Summer Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 1999 Abstract & Artifact Jaquelin Loyd Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, USA Photographing New Zealand Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Mid Season Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland New, Zealand 1998 New Zealand on Paper Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Group Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 1997 Music Unheard (installation) Lopdell House Gallery, Auckland , New Zealand Screen Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Visa Gold Art Awards Auckland City Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Wellington City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Recent Works (2 person show) Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Endres and Nielsen (2 person show) Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Group Show Vavasour Godkin gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 1996 Skirting Abstraction Govett Brewster Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand Winter (solo) Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Visa Gold Art Awards Auckland City Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Dialogue With a Relative (solo) Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Drift North Robert McDougal Art Annex, Christchurch, New Zealand Small Works ASA Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Group Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Aukland, New Zealand 1995 Shiny Things Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Visa Gold Art Awards Wellington City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand Group Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Between a Rock and a High Place (installation) Teststrip Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Summer Show Vavasour Godkin Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 1994 Blander (solo) Brooke Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand A Blander Variation (2 person show) Artis Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand Group Show Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand James Wallace Art Awards James Wallace Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand 1993 New Paintings Brooke Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand 1992 Vanitas McDougall Art Annex, Christchurch, New Zealand Prospect Canterbury ’92 McDougall Art Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand The Open Image Brooke Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand Em Body Exposure Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand Implicated Brooke Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand 1991 Key (solo) Brooke Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand 1990 Art four Beginners CSA Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand B i b l i o g r a p h y 2004 T J McNamara Oceania review, New Zealand Hearald, June 2 2003 Tom Collins Harwood Show Marks 80th, Albuquerque Journal North, September 26 Rick Romancito Harwood Unveils Modern Art, Taos News, Sep 18 T J McNamara Critics Coice, New Zealand Herald, Feb 12 Eileen Kalinowski Small Works, Big Ideas, Taos News, Jan 30 2002 T J McNamara Auckland Art Scene, New Zealand Herald, August 19 2001 Tom Collins Dead or Durable? Venue North, January 26 Mokha Laget Alive and Well Thanks, Santa Fe Reporter, January 24-30 2000 T J McNamara Veriditas, Herald, New Zealand Herald, September 4 Dennis O’Connor Boards Make Major Statement, Sunday Star Times, September 10 Keith Stewart In Touch With New Zealand, (radio show transcript), August 31 Valerie Nielsen Veriditas (catalogue) 1999 Tom Collins Top Art Stories of the Century in NM, Journal North, December 30 Melody Romancito The Native Connection, Taos News, December 1997 Valerie Nielsen Music Unheard (catalogue) Keith Stewart Valerie Nielsen: Making Her Point, Quote Unquote Magazine, February Alan Smith Skirting Abstraction: Scepticism and sensibility, Art New Zealand #82 Keith Stewart Gorgeous Blue Mood for What Could be Seascapes, Sunday Star Times, November 2 T J McNamara From Darkness Into Light, New Zealand Herald, November 6 1996 Pauline Swain Day Into Night on the Tiles, The Dominion, September 7 Stephen Cain No Flies on the Use of Rubber Sheeting, Evening Post, September 28 Katy Conner Take Time Out, City Voice, August 29 Jane Roseman Four Exhibitions, The Daily News, December 4 Keith Stewart Nielsen Paintings Pure Poetry, Sunday Star Times, March 17 T J McNamara Worthy Visions, New Zealand Herald, March 13 Elizabeth Caldwell Drift North (catalogue) Warren Feeney Seriousness Handicaps Exhibition, The Press, July 3 T J McNamara Perspectives on Art, New Zealand Herald, June 26 1995 Keith Stewart Nielsen Paints a Fresh Picture, Sunday Star Times, August 6 Keith Stewart Artists Reveal a Great Deal, Sunday Star Times, September 17 1994 Alison Pearson Minimalist Simplicity, The Press, April T J McNamara The Domestic Fabric of Life, New Zealand Herald, May 12 1993 Justin Paton Women’s Paintings, Sculpture, The Press, September20 1992 Peter Simpson Vanitas Still Life, The Press, September20 William McAloon The Open Image, The Press September 20 William McAloon Still Life Hard To Pin Down, The Dominion, August 20 Lara Strongman Vanitas, Aspects of the Contemporary Still Life (catalogue) 1991 William McAloon Paintings and Mixed Media, The Press, October 15 1990 Willim McAloon Graduates Display, The Press, December 20 |
