A New Hyper Abstraction Movement
By Clifford Elgin

In the middle of the 1990's, a group of painters appeared practicing the same methods but arriving from disparate areas of the globe. These artists loosely used the guidelines of Abstract Expressionism and Conceptualism, yet produced something altogether new. Though attempting to address different issues, their work shared the commonality of an abstract complexity that flew in the face of past generations. Perhaps this was a reaction against the minimalist practices of the previous several decades. It could also be that these artists are looking at the world around them with new eyes and seeing the infinite patterns of nature and grappling with this motif. Or it could be a reaction to our present day culture of over abundance and a need to cram as much as humanly possible into a space. Whatever the cause, these artists that push a new dialogue forwards are adding to the template of art history, supplying a fresh voice that speaks of possibilities.

One of these artists, Matthew Ritchie, has attempted to take his art to an area of extreme overabundance and endless possibilities. His subject matter comprises… well basically everything. Critics have described his work as without limits, "Ritchie's artistic project, like the entirety of creation, is infinite." (Weintraub, Linda "In the Making") On a purely aesthetic basis however, Ritchie's work falls into both a complex and an ironically rigidly confining set of parameters. While speaking of his work, most critics have marveled over his narrative that encompasses both physics and natural history. His work does deal with expressing a unique language, but the images created to express what he has to say mirror closely several other artists of his generation.

Both Ritchie and Julie Mehretu have created mutual bodies of work that on quick inspection mirrors one another to an astonishing degree. These artists in turn create complex diagrams that attempt to involve the mapping of both conceptual thoughts and actions. In the act of mapping out these ideas, their work becomes very similar, yet unique and quite lovely unto themselves in the annals of painting.

Ritchie basically started his current project in 1995 with the show "Working Model." This show consisted of sculpted forms and outlines on paper that were meant to explain his future work. Nothing inside of the walls of this gallery were anything but working models that intended to become a manner of personal dictionary or map so that a viewer would have some context in order to understand what came next. He then went on to produce large installations that used paintings that hang on the wall, paintings that were painted directly on the wall, and paintings that slopped onto the floor, or into the gallery space. The paintings were made using primarily oils with black markers that indicated thought patterns. The viewer is then encouraged to take knowledge from previous shows in order to interpret what they are currently viewing. "As with Matthew Barney's densely coded series "Cremaster," it is the mystifying spectacle of science, the sheer novelty of Ritchie's fantastical interpretations that intrigues viewers and draws them in." (Jane Harris Vitamin P) It might be that his work overwhelms the participant with clever ideas and insider knowledge. " He devises a very complex art scheme and the means for viewers to comprehend it. His works are presented like games. People are taught the rules and invited to play along." (Linda Weintraub, In the Making)" These "games" become the primary focus for some viewers and the artwork itself in elevated beyond its merit.

Our Bizarre Relationship Sue Williams 2002

A NEW HYPER- ABSTRACTION MOVEMENT

by Clifford Elgin

Ritchie, Matthew