OFF LUDLOW (2021) - Bio / Artist Statement

BIO

Rick Mallette was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. He studied art at Western Michigan University (BFA 1990) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA 1994) before moving to Cincinnati in 2002.

Rick is a visual artist that uses traditional 2D media (painting and drawing) on walls, paper, canvas, photomurals, postcards and vinyl as well as digital media to create illustrations, GIF animations and virtual reality environments.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Mallette works quickly with no preconceptions, searching for surprises in the medium, formally and metaphorically, often referencing the human head and figure.

This exhibition is a glimpse into a creative arc in search of harmony between drawing and painting. In Rick’s older work one sees an obvious dichotomy where drawings and paintings look very different from one another. “Vinyl Drawing” is a good example of this simple and clean drawing style versus “Gummy Portrait of Someone Important” a typical complex and messy painting.

The acrylic markers used in “Vinyl Drawing” are crucial tools in moving the work toward a drawing/painting hybrid. They allow for faster choices, longer marks and an energy often missing in the earlier paintings. This hybrid is evident in “There’s Nothing to See Here” resulting in what could be thought of as a “visual concerto” where not unlike classical music’s concerto a solo instrument (drawing) accompanies an orchestra (painting).