Ridley Howard

Marinaro is pleased to present Forever, a solo exhibition by Ridley Howard, inhabiting both gallery spaces.

Howard’s recent paintings continue his investigation of color and shape, as well as the reciprocal relationship between figuration and abstraction. This body of work dives deeper into the Pop aesthetic that has infused Howard’s work in recent years, combining a geometric and cinematic sensibility with his signature, delicate painterliness.

The characters in Howard’s pictures are adrift in various states of mind. People kiss, daydream, enjoy the sun, reflect, and walk in silence. Attention to subtle facial expressions give clues to interiority- eyes gazing or closed, lips still, heads slightly tilted. Abstract shapes often operate as environment, though feel connected to the psychology of his subjects. Color alludes to inner states— bright reds and yellows hint at energy and emotion, muted grays and pinks as reflection and solitude. This synthesis merges shape and figure into a shared physical space and feeling.

The paintings also emphasize the idea of image. Aesthetics of photography and film blend with his developed painting language, and a cinematic sense of time permeates the work. He often utilizes shape to crop the scene, drawing attention to areas of emptiness or the edges of the canvas itself. Absence becomes equally as important as areas inhabited by figures, creating a palpable visual tension and an emphasis on empty space. Howard’s compositions and framing suggest a world that exists outside of the picture plane, one that may transcend the emotions or stories happening just inside.

Ridley Howard (b. 1973, Atlanta, GA) earned his MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 1999 and his BFA in Painting from the University of Georgia in 1996. He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2000. He has recently shown at Andréhn-Schiptjenko, Stockholm; David Zwirner, Hong Kong; Night Gallery, LA; Perrotin Gallery, Seoul; and James Cohan, NY among others. His work has been exhibited at numerous institutions including The American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York; Museum of Fine Arts Boston; The Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA; National Academy Museum, New York; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; and Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN. Howard’s work can be found in the collections of Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston; Morris Museum of Art, Augusta; and High Museum of Art, Atlanta; and Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN. Howard currently lives and works in Athens, GA.