MEET THE ARTIST: CAMERON RITCHER
It’s our pleasure to introduce Cameron Ritcher. Cameron is a non-objective painter and assemblage artist from Richmond. We met Cameron at a local art show in 2019 just after he had stopped teaching elementary art and was starting his full-time art career. We’ve seen his career explode over the last few years – and we couldn’t be happier for him!
"I know, at my core, that I was designed for a very specific job: making paintings, simply for the sake of making paintings. I feel an intense and spiritual excitement and curiosity while making my work. Maybe it is a glimpse of heaven. My hope is that the viewer would feel at least a fraction of that." – Cameron Ritcher
Originally from Illinois, Cameron currently works from his home studio in Richmond, VA, where he lives with his wife, Emily, and their cat, Louie. Read on to learn more about Cameron’s style and influences, and to see samples of his work. Enjoy!
How did you start creating your art?
Like many artists, I've enjoyed drawing and making things for as long as I can remember. I've always gravitated towards assembling found objects into new contraptions, functional or not, before I knew they could be called "art." I explored many other career paths before it clicked in high school that I wanted to make a career out of fine art. My family is full of talented musicians, so they were very supportive of me pursuing an unconventional career path.
I started showing my work at local galleries and coffee shops in high school and college. My first "solo show," if we can call it that, was at a coffee shop in the small town of Front Royal, and it felt like a huge break for me at the time. I graduated from James Madison University in 2017 with a B.S. in studio art, as well as teaching licensure. I taught elementary art part-time for a couple of years after college, while also painting and traveling to shows. In 2019, I left my teaching job and decided it was time to pursue art full-time. I've continued to get incrementally bigger breaks since that coffee shop show in college and am now represented by several well-established galleries around the country.
Looking back, I am so grateful for all of the people I've met who have helped me get to where I am now. Strangers have become clients or gallerists, and some of them have become good friends as well. I also would not be where I am without my high school art teacher, Jauan Brooks, and my professor/mentor in college, Cole Welter, along with countless others.
Stylistically, I went through a phase of hard-edged, geometric Russian Constructivism in college, and then a phase of painterly, loose, layered Abstract Expressionism. One day in the studio, I had two pieces sitting side-by-side. I liked the way they looked next to each other and decided to attach them together into one piece. This is how I began making the cut-wood/assemblage pieces I am most well-known for today. I have also been developing a new series of minimal, geometric pieces that explore color relationships and texture with translucent, tinted resin.
Do you have any particular artists who influence your work?
Likely the biggest and most direct influence on my work has been Taylor White. He creates absurd compositions using found materials and nonsensical illustrations/diagrams. If I had to choose a top 5 it would also include Gary Komarin, Sarah Boyts-Yoder, Eddy Martinez, and Sally King-Benedict.
Do you have any favorite project stories that you can share with us?
My favorite projects are usually just when someone commits to a large statement piece as the focal point in the room. It often seems like people are a little hesitant to get a piece that's big enough to really hold its own in the space. I also love when people request installations of lots of smaller works in a grid. That is one of my favorite ways to display the new resin pieces. It's hard to go wrong with a grid.
One of the most exciting sales I've had is to the former Capitals' goalie Braden Holtby. I had no idea who he was when I first met him, but he casually mentioned that he plays hockey for a living – then proceeded to spend several times my mortgage on three of my paintings. The NHL did a virtual interview with him, and I was able to see my work in the background. Any time I get to see my work installed in its new home is special for me - it gives me great satisfaction and a sense of resolution, like finishing a good book.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not painting?
When I'm not painting, I can be found playing trampoline volleyball on our two full-size trampolines, mountain & BMX biking, snowboarding, or playing in the river. I ran my first (and last) marathon this past fall. I just love being outdoors and finding new ways to interact with our surroundings. Occasionally I play the trumpet. I love making wood-fired pizza, and spending time with my wife. I am very involved in our local church community as well. My faith is what the rest of my life is centered around, and it keeps me from flying off the rails.
To see more of Cameron's work, visit his website and be sure to follow him on Instagram @cameronwilsonritcher.