Marty Ricks- "Russian Roots"
Exhibition continues through September 30th, 2010
Marty Ricks
"Girl in Sunlight"
21" x 14" (28 x 35.5 cm)
2010, Oil on canvas, SOLD
The Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery is pleased to invite you to the opening of the show "Russian Roots" with renowned Utah artist Marty Ricks. Marty has recently returned from a month long adventure to Russia and the Ukraine to experience and connect with one of his main artistic influences, Russia and Russian Impressionism. Marty's fascination with Russia and the Ukraine go back many years when as a youngster in Idaho, where he met and spent time with Russian Impressionist master Sergei Bongart. On his recent trip, Marty feels that he genuinely connected with his artistic roots as well as the warmth and friendliness of the Russian people. Marty has returned filled with Russian inspiration and a renewed artistic expression. Please join us as Marty debuts his new Russian inspired collection of paintings.
"Russian Roots"
"Upon returning from a six week trip to Ukraine, Russia and the Czech Republic, I have been contemplating how remarkable life can be. I wonder what I would be doing had Sergie Bongart not chosen to leave his native country and journey to America. Sergei's teaching affected many artists, even those completely unaware of his influence". -Marty Ricks
Marty Ricks (American, 1961)Marty Ricks, who was born in Rexburg, Idaho in 1961, was destined to become a painter. The son of artist Don Ricks, all three of his brothers made a living at one time as artists. Despite the calling he felt, he resisted his urge to paint, and at the young age of 17, Ricks began a career as a picture frame maker, creating frames for renowned artists throughout the country.
Ricks eventually opened a store in New York City at 3rd and 57th Street. His business prospered, but was almost completely destroyed by the September 11th terrorist attacks. After this infamous day, Ricks re-evaluated his life and resolved to make some changes, most significantly to become a painter. He sites his brother Douglas Ricks as his primary tutor; he has also been influenced by the work of Russell Chatham, George Inness, and Sergei Bongart, who was his father's teacher and art workshop partner.
Aside from these great artists, Ricks feels that nature herself has been the most influential on his work. "My work is an attempt to communicate my deep love of the outdoors and the spiritual foundation of the natural world." Ricks is an avid hunter and fly-fisher; his favorite locations often become subjects of his work.
It was almost inevitable that Marty Ricks' career would involve fine art. His father, painter Don Ricks [1929-1996], ran an art business with Russian artist Sergei Bongart [1918-1985], and he grew up surrounded by art and artists. "I swore I would never become a painter," Ricks recalls. By 17 he began working as a frame maker and now owns a framing business in Utah. But the desire to capture the beauty of the West on his own canvas emerged in 2001, when his growing business was hit by the aftermath of 9/11. "I had to analyze whether I wanted to ramp up again, but I knew I had to do something intensely creative," Ricks says. "I started to paint, knowing that art could consume all of my creativity. I soon decided that's what I was going to do."
A tonalist painter, Ricks portrays bucolic scenes of trees, mountains, streams, and the occasional farmhouse. He cites painter Russell Chatham as an influence on his work, as well as his late brother, Doug, who was a poet and artist. "Doug taught me to value, above everything else, the mood," Ricks says. "That is what I always try to achieve."
