Richard Riverin
Artistic
Chemistry
-Gabriel Diego Delgado
Art Creditability is
not always evident when looking at fine art. We can review visual prestige
based on art history, personal preferential comparisons and other factors that
play a role in how we appreciate what we see in a studio, gallery or museum.
Yet, sometimes the back-story is as interesting as the
aesthetic; the building up of a personal artist chronicle that forms a
foundation in which we mentally seize and utilize along on the ride of our art
experiences and admirations.
Richard Riverin is an artist whose past successful career(s)
shaped where he has arrived today, giving us a playful epiphany of collaborative
efforts; Scientist turned manufacturer, turned gallery owner, turned
professional artist. Often mislabeled,
maybe a bit of nonconformist, Riverin’s artwork cannot be pigeonholed into a
simple Impressionistic genre. Sure, on first glance, all the right
components, ingredients, and compositional constituents ring true for such
acceptance into Art Historical classifications.
But, “none shall pass”, I say. “You blinded me with Science! I cry.
Comparatively yes, we know Robert Gamblin of Gamblin Artist
Oil Colors ™ developed his own oil paints with alkyd resins mixed with pure
pigments, raw materials and Gamsol odorless mineral spirits. While century old
Winsor & Newton Artist Oils has been using the same chemical standard since
1832; providing great artists’ standard products used in timeless
impressionistic paintings over the last hundred years. Fast forward to contemporary chemist pioneers
like Richard Riverin who is pushing the limits of synthetic polymers for 21st
century applications.
It’s not very often that the scientific world crosses paths
with the art world. Yves Klein dabbled with this discipline in the 1960’s with
his patented ultramarine IKB (International Klein Blue); a synthetic granulated
polymer was used exclusively by him in his anthropometries series of monochrome
paintings.
And now, Richard Riverin, the chemist/artist patents a new
high gloss synthetic polymer to use in Fine Art. A painted canvas that can be
rolled, without fear of cracking; paint with a flexibility that has not been
seen in the fine art realm before. Unique to his art, Riverin has an ability to
be a game changer while maintaining a certain traditional and classical
artistic genre. Two worlds colliding for artistic achievement, Impressionism
and artist patented synthetic polymer paint.
“Early Snow”, is a 20” x 24” landscape of some nondescript
setting. Washed-out tones mixed with a
foggy-like ethereal, cancel any second glance in normal circumstances. There is
nothing to hold the eye, color wise,-
no “push and pull” of vibrant edges, hues or contrasting colors {A Fauvism favorite}. But hold onto
those “rose colored” glasses of positive vibrations, layers and layers of
scraped on paint, gestural swipes and strikes; subtle blending of streaks
create activated surfaces that are reminiscent of segmented plates on tortoise
shells. High gloss swatches of color come together like Seurat pointillism on
steroids. Groupings of three hence back
to a sacred undertone of the Divine Trinity; a throwback to his devout
religious beliefs.
Flat spatial dimensions arise from the general application
of chosen pigments. There is a visually distinguishable front, middle and
background, but with identical sized dabs Riverin’s flatness contrasts typical
paintings of this genre. He wants us to focus on the multi-directional visual
strokes juxtaposed by the vertical trees. A double cobalt blue horizon line is
used to differentiate the planes. But purposeful carvings are done alongside
the trees and shrubbery, outlining the subject matter, distinguishing it from
the “all over” painterly applications.
Part businessman, part artist, Richard Riverin has laid the
groundwork for a flourishing artistic career with successful ventures at the
ArtExpo, New York and many solo exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad.
© Gabriel Diego Delgado
website: www.jrmooneygalleries.com
"Early Snow" is available for sale at J.R.Mooney Galleries
210.828.8214
