NATHAN RITTERPUSCH: BECKON

Nathan Ritterpusch (b. 1976) is an American painter who creates works that examine our ways of seeing. Both realistic and gestural, his paintings are often created from photo references and then distorted through smudging, overlapping, and collage, among other methods. Ritterpusch captures the intimate moments of life, revealing what is left unspoken and transporting the viewer.

In “Beckon,” Ritterpusch invites us to surrender to the subject matter of his pieces. Through a collection of painted Hollywood sirens and florals, the artist examines the silent authority of beauty, calling the audience to plunge into the depths of a power as old as time.

Through the eternal logic of black and white imagery, Ritterpusch’s siren paintings use digitally collected images of recognizable Hollywood starlets from the 1920s to 1940s, collaging and distorting them in an almost cubist method. His floral works are approached through the same digital collage method, offering a twist to subject matter whose history is rich and expansive.

Coming from a background in black and white photography, Ritterpusch approaches each work through a contemporary lens, with the process of digital photography at the core. His paintings are marked by a distinct interruption, a sort of digital hallmark or compositional counterpoint that slows the viewer down. The pieces act more as a mirror to the audience, skewing digital fact to stir something innate.