Matthew Ritchie The Universal Cell - Essay Example

Due Is the tradition of art to speak visually the thoughts, ideas, feelings, and intentions of the artist through creative means. Mathew Ritchie is an artist that definitely follows that and has successfully been doing so for decades. Born in England in 1964 Ritchie received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in London and then continued his education in Boston.("Art21") It wasn’t until he moved to New York that he began taking his drawings out of the two-dimension of the paper medium and built them into beautiful sculpted pieces that are, both, amazing to look at and thought provoking.

His work has been displayed in museums and exhibits both nationally and internationally. “The Universal Cell,” which debuted in 2006, is a fascinating metal work sculpture that represents a complex installation that appears to be interconnecting patterns and shapes that seem unending and yet, ever continuing. The piece clearly has two distinct immediate connotations that counter and oppose one another. The first is the clear representation of the artist to show the finite details and interconnectedness of the all things; like the universe, which played into the artist intentions.

There appears to be unending possibility within the unending twist and turns. However, on a darker side, those same twist and turns no matter how continuing are still confined to the structure of the “cell,” giving that the perception of unending possibility is an illusion, the limits, our limits, outline the pattern. This duality of perception is, also, revealed in the visual elements of the structure. While the design is swirling shapes and patterns that are quite beautiful, there is also a foreboding “cage-like” quality closing in around you.

Even the title of the work can easily be taken as a dual meaning. There is the “cell” that exists in the human body and the physical properties of the universe that were the artist’s inspiration for the structure itself but, also, there is the type of “cell” that confines a person, like a prison.( Krunak-Hajagos 1) In the end, the “Universal Cell” by Matthew Ritchie, is the kind of artistic work that can entertain the eye and draw in a viewing audience. It is an immense, beautifully detailed, work of art, but it, also, has the potential to evoke great thought and discussion.

That is a wonderful quality in an artistic piece. It is that kind of discussion that promotes ideas and encourages the sharing of prospective. Ultimately, this work is fantastically balances, both, lightness and darkness, almost a “yin-yang” quality, that leaves a bittersweet residual essence. This and other works are fine examples of modern art, and this artist, via the “Universal Cell,” as well as a number of other pieces in Ritchie’s collection, that bring together elements of physics, science, religion, and philosophy that represents the creative direction and physical mediums that many future artist may embrace to bring their art to life.

Work Cited"Matthew Ritchie." Art21. PBS.org, n.d. Web. 29 Dec 2012. .Krunak-Hajagos, Emese. "Contemporary Sculptor, Matthew Ritchie, Installs Large-Scale Works in U.S., European Venues:A Universal Quest: Exploring Sights and Sounds—Experience—of Creation ." ARTES MAGAZINE A Fine Art Magazine: Passionate for Fine Art, Architecture & Design. 08 2012: 1. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. .