Addison/Ripley Fine Art Presents W.C. Richardson: A Memorial Exhibition

Reception: Saturday, March 11 from 5-7pm

W.C. Richardson’s distinctive style of painting is as recognizable as it is complex, as well crafted as it is playful. His roots in the Washington art world are long and deep as is his generous involvement in it. When he passed away in 2022, he left a legacy of admiring fellow artists, collectors and students as well as an extensive inventory of paintings going back almost 40 years. For this memorial exhibition, we have curated a collection of later works, with the kind assistance of the artist’s wife, Patrice Kehoe.

Although this work may be seen as complex overlays of schematic diagrams, sophisticated formal patterning or systems, these works are equally playful, visually engaging and alluring with rich, exciting juxtapositions of colors. It is easy to get lost in one, as one might from gazing into a mandala. Viewing these, it is easy to sense Richardson’s multiple areas of inspiration, from science fiction to gambling, physics and mathematics. Collectors who have followed the artist for many years may find the more recent work more minimal. However, this work is arguably even more complex if more reductive. Each element is set free to move like sub-atomic particles dancing to their own rhythm; in these works the merger of intuition and hard science is on full display.

From an interview after his last exhibition opened in 2020, just before COVID-19 closed everything down, the artist stated, “Paintings for me are primary objects. You have to see them in person to understand them…to understand the archeology of paint, the layering. The paintings are fitted and pieced and built out of layers of paint.” Hand painted, lacking that perfection that mechanical aids can give hard edged painting, the artist has used the analogy of music for the work, in the sense of being experiential not machine driven.

An artist with a considerable depth of talents, Richardson has curated exhibitions in the Mid-Atlantic Region, authored catalogues for several exhibitions and juried many more. His commissions include one seen by the many visitors at Ronald Reagan National Airport and he has been the recipient of numerous grants and art awards.

During his career which has included more than twenty individual exhibitions throughout the United States, reviews of his work have been seen in many prestigious publications including Artforum, ARTNews, Art in America, NYArts, Art Papers, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Richardson’s work has been collected by major museums such as the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and The Ackland Art Center.

For more information about the artist, the work, images from the exhibition or to schule a private appointment
please contact Ms. Romy Silverstein, 202.338.5180 or info@addisonripleyfineart.com

Addison/Ripley Fine Art is located at 1670 Wisconsin Avenue NW.