FRANK RYAN

EXHIBITION REVIEW

WHITEHOT MAGAZINE

Frank Ryan: Lived Perspective

BY LAWRENCE GIPE

June 28, 2024

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Track 16 is pleased to present Lived Perspective, our first exhibition with painter Frank Ryan. Opening on Saturday, June 8, 2024, it showcases works ranging from large-scale oil paintings to small works on paper, spanning over 20 years of living in Los Angeles.

Ryan reflects on the interplay between common lived experiences and subjective perspectives. His work is rooted in a paradigm of reciprocity between the subject and the object, striving to capture the spirit of the moment and the tangible elements of passing time. Ryan says, “It is the application of the ‘ordinary as analogy’ that reveals the surprising, unsettling and even uncanny aspect of representational painting.”

Los Angeles artist Patty Wickman wrote, “Frank is one of a handful of serious painters working in Los Angeles today who approaches representation in a compelling, convincing and heartfelt manner. Well-versed in both the history of painting and contemporary art-making practices, he has chosen to utilize representation as a means by which to investigate embodiment and the human experience in the 21st century.” 

Through history conventions of linear perspective were developed and refined through the use of optical devices, lenses and mirrors to dissolve the barrier between real and pictorial space. From Leonardo da Vinci’s symbolic geometric form to Alberti’s analogy of the painting as a window, virtuality is the foundation of naturalist representation and desire its driving force. Ryan’s work delves into the long-standing naturalist tradition that explores the virtual relationship between the viewer and the pictorial field. His paintings prompt viewers to ponder their own role within this visual structure in our present time dominated by surveillance and self-obsessed social media. Realism, in this context, becomes a tool for examining the ownership of personal experience and the precarious relationship between the viewer and the image.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

A native Californian, Frank Ryan finds inspiration in the landscapes of his surroundings. Through direct observation, he uncovers unique perspectives on common subjects, drawing from American and European realist traditions to reflect on contemporary American life. Influenced by artists like Edward Hopper, the Ashcan School, John Singer Sargent, and Manet, as well as literary figures such as Raymond Carver, John Fante, Charles Bukowski, Ryan's work offers a rich, layered narrative of modern existence.

Frank Ryan received his MFA in oil painting from UCLA and his BFA from Sonoma State University. He studied painting at l’Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy.  His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Chicago, and in conjunction with the Biennale in Venice, Italy. His work has been reviewed in the Los Angeles Times and his paintings have been featured in Studio Visit Magazine and New American Paintings. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

ARTWORKS

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