JUXTAPOZ – Ridley Howard looks forward to “Sky”
Marinaro I am pleased to present sky, A collection of new small paintings by Ridley Howard Especially focusing on the importance of space. Howard paintings are in a quietly charged place between their simplicity, intimacy, realism and abstraction. His work often depicts daily moments – a glance, a kiss, a personality in comfort – however, there is a clear stillness and imbalance that gives his paintings a poetic and contemplative edge. Howard’s ability to make worldly feel a legend is essential to his artistic strength.
At first glance, Howard panels are deceptive. His characters are presented with soft surfaces, soft colors and lower backgrounds, which are frequented by the aesthetics of modernists in the twentieth century and classic photography. However, these scattered structures are loaded with emotional weight. People in his paintings are often displayed in approximately calm and frozen situations: they sit alone in a room, brush against each other in the hallway, or stare at the distance. This stillness calls the viewer to stop and look more deeply – not only on the numbers, but to them.
What makes Howard’s convincing work is the way the formalities are balanced with emotional resonance. He shows his attention to the geometry of the formation – how the head tends, and how the horizon line lines appear across the fabric – his deep understanding of the visual rhythm. But then, there is a feeling of weakness and desire to run through its subjects. They feel they are universal and specific, unidentified but intimate. It seems as if we are witnessing special moments carrying an emotional echo that we all can attach to it.
The color also plays a vital role in the work of Howard. His painting tends to be defeated but deliberate, using soft pastel or silent tones to put a specific mood. This precise use of colors enhances a dream -like atmosphere to watch, which attracts the viewer to a space that feels a part of a part, and part of the imagination.
Howard’s work was compared to artists such as Alex Katz, David Hawken and even Edward Huber, especially in how to capture the emotional scene of contemporary life. However, Howard panels are their own – contemplative, restricted, and full of yearning. It has been carved an area where silence speaks volumes, and where the inner life of his characters remains accurately, but strongly, offered.
In an increasingly saturated world of noise and speed, Ridley Howard paintings provide a calm and royal alternative – encourage us to slow down, look closely, and find meaning in the smallest gestures.
