Ryder Richards	IMAGinE	February 2007

Imagⁱⁿe • New Work by Ryder Richards

 January 20, 2007

Art Depot presents “Imagⁱⁿe”, the debut show of new sculptures and drawings by Ryder Richards. Richards produces a combination of striking pastel figure drawings, small quirky illustrations, and several massive wooden sculptures referencing flight. The work questions methods of salvation, the weight of beauty in art, & the contradiction of creation as flight, sometimes humorously. The exhibition can be seen from February 2^nd to February 23^rd.The reception is part of the citywide First Friday Art Trail on Friday, February 2^nd, 2007 from 6PM until 9PM.
        Hovering from the ceiling hundreds of planes made from the pages of encyclopedias swirl away from a sculptural form of God’s hand.  Several colorful drawings of figures line the walls held up by Atlas-like wooden silhouettes.  Large wooden clouds, birds and planes make an imposing presence.
           
Of this intriguing work, Richards has this to say:
        “The concept of flight is important, even if it is grounded and static. The idea of a present hope, even if not viable is necessary for the attempt at salvation, redemption, and life in general. Without the striving there would be no cause to live.  ‘Flight’ or ‘creation’ is the use of knowledge to focus on something higher. We just have to know how to create and release; how this process parallels redemption.  
        “I like the idea of humor in art, but I feel that what may be considered humorous is an exploration of displaced characters and contradictions. This type of humor is a way to work past my prejudices and guilt. In a way creating images is how I free myself from my past.  I create new ideas by debunking the old myths I live by.
        “In the big panels I focus on drawing more than painting. It is instant and leaves a passage or residue of action. This is real, not buried. It is an active form of creation to contrast the clean sculptural forms. The Atlas forms I think are funny because they act like my paintings are heavy, as in heavy in content, which they aren’t (except for art historically). It is a prop to set up the importance of the images. 
        “The images of the smaller drawings are disparate: a geisha, Jesus with guns, people in an airport, a cheerleader, maybe just figures, figures fighting or a plane crashing into the sky, a Buddha sitting on a man, or Allah as a boxer. I draw whatever turns me on or makes me chuckle.”