Richard Currier
Initially a realist still life painter, over the past few years his work has been very much in process of transition. Currier states: “In my paintings, I have always been drawn towards dramatic imagery, using contrasting elements of color, shape and space. I paint until the objects become more than what they are. This seems to result in a heightened reality to the images, although ‘realism’ is not necessarily the goal. I enjoy the balance of positive and negative space, pulling imagery from the space as well as pushing space back to expose the form.”
“The subject of my paintings, to me, has always been the fusion of light and form. The objects carry that light and form within the space, and provide a reference for the viewer.”
“Landscapes, specifically, have their own aesthetic. Apart from social or political forms of art, they are a response to a time and place processed through the artist’s imagination. Based on my travels throughout my native Florida, I draw on my emotional responses to the mental images I have collected over the years. Focusing not on the objects found in a landscape, but the spaces, infused with light, between the objective realities. This is where I find the passion for painting.”
A graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design, Florida native Richard Currier is an award-winning artist whose work has been presented in numerous museums throughout the country. Last season persons attending the Florida Artists exhibition at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts Museum, literally gasped as they were confronted by one of Currier’s hyper-real, overscale faces, literally filling the entrance wall.
Initially a realist still life painter, over the past few years his work has been very much in process of transition. Currier states: “In my paintings, I have always been drawn towards dramatic imagery, using contrasting elements of color, shape and space. I paint until the objects become more than what they are. This seems to result in a heightened reality to the images, although ‘realism’ is not necessarily the goal. I enjoy the balance of positive and negative space, pulling imagery from the space as well as pushing space back to expose the form.”
“The subject of my paintings, to me, has always been the fusion of light and form. The objects carry that light and form within the space, and provide a reference for the viewer.”
“Landscapes, specifically, have their own aesthetic. Apart from social or political forms of art, they are a response to a time and place processed through the artist’s imagination. Based on my travels throughout my native Florida, I draw on my emotional responses to the mental images I have collected over the years. Focusing not on the objects found in a landscape, but the spaces, infused with light, between the objective realities. This is where I find the passion for painting.”
5640 Taylor Road, Naples, Florida, 34109 (239) 514-2773