Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Finding Pleasure in the Work, 2013, acrylic on wood panel, 48″ x 24″
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery
“Ryan McGinness‘ work consists of an amalgam icons and symbols. Drawing from his background in the design industry, Ryan McGinness‘ work resolves the clinical graphics aesthetics od media as vast, contemplative fields of infinite meditation. It oncorporates strong social commentary on iconography, language, and historical and contemporary symbolism. His works are in the permanent public collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Cincinnati Art Museum, MUSAC in Spain and Misumi Collection in Japan” – Bridgette Mayer Gallery artist statement
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery
The one-person show of mixed media paintings by Ryan McGinness is loaded with metaphors, memes, messages and icons; standing before one of his works is a bit like scrolling through Tumblr blogs or channel surfing TV. Many of the paintings are layers of silk-screened symbols in repeating patterns like X-acto blades, chain links, bricks, animals, bugs and customized icons. Round shaped paintings at first seem like Spirograph drawings we did as kids that morph before your eyes into chrysanthemum-like floral shapes then transmogrify into trippy spin paintings like we made at carnivals. In reality each painting is thoroughly thought out to create a unique design experience with elements that flow into the other works. At first they feel abstract, an art form the Bridgette Mayer Gallery specializes in, but instead of blatant expressionism the works are over-flowing with rich narrative and a personal conversation with the viewer.
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Untitled (Black Hole, Black 24. 1), 2013, oil and acrylic on wood panel, 24″ x 24″
The round paintings are intense, They create an optical illusion at the edge as if the panel has a curved edge but it’s flat, the spirals and swirls trick the eye into softening the periphery. The series of round artworks vary in color-ways and painted patterns from golden to day-glo to pitch black; some of the paintings are playful and child-like, others are serious and deep and yet others are mature and worldly. It’s amazing how the artist finds such a variety of emotive themes using such simple almost doodle-like shapes. But the technique and virtuosity is astonishing with crisp lines with no obvious bleeding edges and layer upon layer of color and pattern with a disarming immediacy.
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Untitled (Black Hole, Dark Energy 24.1), 2013, oil and acrylic on wood panel, 24″ x 24″
“I’m trying to communicate complex and poetic concepts with a cold, graphic, and authoritative visual vocabulary. I concentrate on shape, line, color, and composition to communicate within simplified picture planes. As such, the work resides somewhere between abstraction and representation.
At the essence of our being is the need to know and the need to understand. I am interested in our need to read into an interpret – to make sense of chaos and give meaning to seemingly abstract forms. This interpretation involves an egocentric faith in the fact that must be a meaning for us to understand. We surrender our logic to the belief that answers do indeed exist, and so, by default, we invent them. With my work, interpretations are not absolute, but guided, yo allow for multiple reads. This allows the viewer to bring to the work his own history, memories, and knowledge to find a personalized meaning.” – Ryan McGinness, Bridgette Mayer Gallery artist statement
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Untitled (Black Hole, Black on Black 72. 1), 2010. acrylic on canvas, 72″ x 72″
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Untitled (Black Hole, Black on Black, 72. 1) (detail), 2010. acrylic on canvas, 72″ x 72″
DoN had the opportunity to chat with Ryan McGinness at the opening on October 10th, I asked if he uses stencils in the paintings?
“It’s actually silk-screens which are basically a stencil.”
I know that when you use silkscreens they eventually wear out. Do you use them over and over?
“Well, even if they wear out, I still have the original drawings for new screens. So, I’m continually adding to a well of images that I can pull from.”
There are so many different symbols in your work, do you go around and take notes of what you see?
“Yeah, I’m always drawing and I’m always developing the sketches into more refined drawings that end up as simplified, iconic symbols. I’m always adding to that well and I’m organizing them, in some degree, into new bodies of work. For example, you have the Black Holes, which are made up of these very handsome flourishes which to me are symbols of the fanciness of wealth. And I have what I call the Mind-Scapes, which are more general paintings made up of symbols that spring from the mind. And the third body of work in this show are The Women, those are made up of symbols that are derived from figure drawings.”
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, The Vital Few / The Trivial Many, 2013, acrylic on wood panel, 42″ x 84″
The Vital Few / The Trivial Many, one of the largest paintings in Finding Infinity, graces the rear wall of the gallery and sets apart from the other works in several ways. The color palette is softer and soothing, the aspect ratio is horizontal and the composition incorporates many of the themes and symbols from the other works, The painting draws the viewer in and I found that many people gathered around it to point out interesting quirks of design and caused people to talk to each other. The flourishes mixed with hard edge symbols seem to break through the rows of rectangles that try hard to build a wall but are knocked down with ironic ideas, fantastic notions and impossible theories. Like a black hole, the viewer crosses an event horizon into a realm of metaphor as language like a synesthesia of speaking color, silent words and waking dreams.
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, The Vital Few / The Trivial Many, 2013, acrylic on wood panel, 42″ x 84″ (close-up detail)
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, The Vital Few / The Trivial Many, 2013, acrylic on wood panel, 42″ x 84″ (click for larger image)
Ryan McGinness, Finding Infinity at Bridgette Mayer Gallery is on exhibit through November 16th, 2013. The artist has also installed a fantastical mural at the University City Science Center, 3701 Market Street, Philadelphia, titled Black Holes. The mural is sponsored by the University City Science Center, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and Wexford Science + Technology, LLC, A Biomed Realty Company.
Written and photographed by DoN Brewer except where noted
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