marie riccio: Still echoes
Exhibition Dates: October 3 - 28, 2023
Reception: thursday, october 5, 5PM - 8pm
virtual artist’s talk: Moderated by Lisa Petker Mintz (Recorded Link Below)
meet the artist: saturday, october 28, 3PM - 5pm
Cuddled in a Dream, 2023, Oil on board, 16” x 16”
Seeking Shelter, 2023, Oil on board, 20” x 20”
The Painting Center is pleased to present Still Echoes by Marie Riccio. Marie Riccio’s contemporary still life exhibition showcases her most recent work, centered on the relationships between space, objects, and color and is informed by the work of artists who explore those elements.
In Still Echoes, Marie Riccio draws inspiration from artists across time and genre, from Fra Angelico, to Giorgio Morandi to Hans Hofmann. By observing the way each artist plays with dimension, composition, and color, Riccio interprets aspects of their work from her own point of view into contemporary still life paintings.
Wayne Thiebaud’s paintings of San Francisco emerge in Riccio’s work as bottles sitting atop a table, a row of objects giving the impression of buildings on a hill as she plays with his use of perspective in her painting Red Travels. Rembrandt’s dramatic use of light can be seen reflected in Golden Ribbon, as a ceramic bottle sits illuminated in a field of black. In Seesaw, colorful tissue paper and the surface of a table create fields of color reminiscent of Mark Rothko.
In this way, old masters and contemporaries are seen echoed and refracted across Riccio’s work, showcasing the influences of artists who have inspired her.
Drawing from her roots in abstract painting, Riccio’s work incorporates elements of flatness co-existing with three-dimensional illusions, creating a push-pull of space and interpretation. Working from direct observation, she is drawn to the underlying structure and shape of objects. Color and composition also play a major role in her work with bold color juxtaposed with muted shades and compositional elements leading the viewer into and through each piece.
“I enjoy the process of orchestrating each composition, evolving the arrangement intuitively until the space and color interactions feel right and there is both harmony among the objects and each object feels naturally settled where it belongs within the composition,” Riccio says.
“Color is important to me. I am excited by how each color interacts with its neighbor, connecting the objects, creating movement within the painting, and guiding me to an understanding of space, light and reflection within the composition,” Riccio says.
Raised in New York, Riccio received a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA in Painting from the University of Pennsylvania. Her curatorial projects include still life exhibits at The Washington Studio School, DC and the VisArts Kaplan Gallery, MD. Her studio is currently based in Rockville, MD.
View the Virtual Artist’s Talk:
Passcode: 58%jrsoT
For more information on the artist, visit: www.mariericcio.com
