Jonathan Ricci

Lives and works in Bridgewater, NJ, USA

Artist statement

In essence, my paintings are inspired by color. They explore the harmony of relationships on an emotional and physical level. My approach is sometimes an intuitive process and at other times, a deliberately focused one. For me, this is the most exciting and satisfying part of the painting experience. My process begins with a pair of colors arranged in a checker-board pattern. The squares and rectangles bump up against each other. Repeating over and over again, I change and layer the paint, until relationships appear to have a balanced coexistence. At this point, I start to recognize the spatial effects, how colors push, pull, recede and advance. Now I begin to envision the figurative elements of the painting, what parts may become land, mountains, sea or sky. As the composition congeals, my next step is to add the found elements. Images from bird encyclopedias, clothing patterns, maps and travel documents have become part of my visual vocabulary and I collage on top of the painted surface. The image of the bird appears in an almost obsessive way. This image is based in memory, leading me back to my grandfather’s aviary. It is also symbolic, coming from birds in mythology and ideas of flight, travel and migration. References to landscape along with other elements of my paintings are inspired by multiple summer artist residencies in Iceland. Through time and intense focus, I observed the ever-changing Icelandic summer light as it interacted with the environment. These...

Artwork