This exhibition brings together a selection of pictures from 2001-2002 entitled “Swimmers”. The paintings are derived from a long and literal immersion in and study of water, particularly the sea. Having been in or on the ocean on a daily basis, either swimming, surfing, paddling or sailing, I am continually encountering the endless parade of patterns, shapes, colors and light presented before me. This visual playground is a fountain of possibilities. They find their way into the studio through smaller studies that eventually translate into paint. The express desire is to convey the aquatic qualities of fluidity and color on and below the surface. Inherent in these images is the inter-connectedness of man and nature. The central figure, the swimmer, in each of these pictures is intertwined and inseparable from all the forms of life around it. Exploring these images and ideas has been the basis of my paintings for the past forty years.
Santa Barbara painter Rick Stich has discovered his creative fluency in liquid. An avid surfer, Stich finds his inspiration in the color, reflection and movement of water and in its interplay with light and landscape. His swirling, gestural brushstrokes and vivid hues convey not only the illusionist forms and patterns seen both above and below the water but also expose the inter-connectedness between the real and abstract in nature. Ultimately, while it is water in all its manifestations that has provided Stich with a rich field for imagination and study, it is the interaction between humans and the natural world that he hopes to reveal.
Born in Glendale, CA, Stich has had exhibitions at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Carnegie Art Museum, Edward Cella Art & Architecture, L.A. Louver Gallery, and Ruth Shaffner Gallery. His paintings are held in numerous private and corporate collections, including Bank of America, Eli Broad Foundation, the Oakland Museum of Art and the Santa Barbara Museum.
More Info, Bio, Press clips: http://rickstich.com/
Friday, October 3, 2014
6pm to 9pm
Vita Art Center
432 North Ventura Avenue
Ventura, CA 93001
FIRST FRIDAYS VENTURA 