Artist Statement
My interest lies in the push/pull dynamic of concealment and revelation of the figure and perspective with regards to popular culture and history. I work in craft materials, such as Elmer’s glue, wood, pencil, construction paper, acrylic and latex paint, to ground the pieces in a certain frame work of time. The pieces work to influence each other, building upon each other in layers, while also skipping from one mode to another; much like the memories they are inspired by.
Bio
John L. Ryczek was born in 1970 in Oak Park, IL. He has a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work has been displayed in the Portland Art Museum, the Center on Contemporary Art (Seattle), the Art Gym at Marylhurst University, the Basil Hallward Gallery, and various alternative spaces in Portland, Oregon. His work has been featured and noted in the Seattle Times, the Oregonian, Willamette Week, and the Organ Review of Arts. John L. Ryczek currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
Education
1988-1994 University of Illinois, Chicago, Il
Solo Exhibitions:
2021 Concealment & Revelation, Runyan Gallery @ Newport Visual Art Center, Newport, OR
2004 Growing Up With American Boys, Stumptown Coffee, Portland, OR
2002 The Young and Restless, Basil Hallward Gallery, Portland, OR
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2005 Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR “First Person”
2005 Pacific Switchboard, Portland, OR “Marking Borders”
2003 Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA “Northwest Annual”
2003 The Art Gym, Portland, OR “Blood and Guts Forever”
2001 Oak St. Center for the Arts, Portland, OR “Meeting People”
2001 Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR “2001 Oregon Biennial”
2001 Disjecta, Portland, OR “CHARM BRACELET Expo”
2000 Meow Meow, Portland, OR “CHARM BRACELET Expo”
Publications:
Kangas, Mathew “Sex dominates limited Northwest Annual” The Seattle
Times,
11/7/2003
Dubinsky, Allison “A Good Friend is Hard to Find” The Organ, May/June
2003
Row, D.K. “Show has friendship at heart” The Oregonian, ArtsWeek,
5/21/2003
Guenther, Bruce, “Among the Echoes” Oregon Biennial 2001 (catalogue)
Bancud, Michaela “Museum heats up” Portland Tribune, Life, 5/11/2001
Hicks, Bob “The Oregon Biennial: not the usual suspects” The Oregonian,
ArtsWeek, 4/29/2001
Lambert, Lisa “Best in Show” Willamette Week, 04/24/2001
Bancud, Michaela “Show offers peek at new Oregon art” Portland Tribune,
Life, 2/9/2001
Collections:
Charm Bracelet
Nan Curtis and Marty Houston
Jeff Browning
Grant Guyer
Sean Healy
Brad Adkins
Paul Donkers