Leif Ritchey
The latest subject of our artist profiles is Leif Ritchey, whose paintings combine the texture of fashion with the harmony of music. As always, you can read more past artist profiles on the ArtList blog and browse artwork on ArtList.
The works of Leif Ritchey walk a fine line between fragility and resilience.
Papaya Place, 2014 (ltd gallery)
With his signature process of white impasto, Ritchey creates textured works of paint and fabric with pastel palettes that give these layered, constructed works a deceptively light, delicate facade.
He uses paint to not only create his works but also as a means of adhering textural elements to his canvases, turning his process of construction into a chance for deeper fusion.
“I don’t use glue, I use paint. It fuses it. It seeps in. The colors meld. Where one thing begins and another thing ends is a blurring process. A blend from one song to another. The mix.”— Leif Ritchey
Ritchy’s work is infused with a sense of musicality.
In addition to viewing the elements of his works as separate “songs,” he is a member of the band Shades, consistently listens to music while painting and sees his painting process as a mixing of elements, similar to the composition of a song or the curation of music on the radio.
Jasmine, 2014 (ltd gallery)
However, fashion plays into his works as much as musicality. He is, along with his designer wife, a co-founder of the Leif and Tooya Clothing Company. Ritchey sees his fashion line, like his artistic works that often incorporate fabric textures, as a chance to bring the exceptional to quotidian life.
“In both [mine and my wife’s] work, we try to tap into the magic of everyday items — to realize magic that’s already there.” — Leif Ritchey (Paper Magazine)
Ritchey lives and works in New York City. He has had solo shows at the the Jounral Gallery in Brookly, ltd los angeles in Los Angeles, Martos Gallery in New York City and ATM Gallery in Brooklyn. His work has also been exhibited at the Journal Gallery in Brooklyn. He has also shown at Venus over Manhattan in New Yorka nd Jeanroch Dard in Paris.