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Fitton features 4-artist exhibit

Two painters, one photographer and a printmaker combine for ‘Reflections.’  

An artwork by Wolfgang Ritschel of Cincinnati, originally from Austria,
Harlem Soul Food, New York acrylic on canvas 2004, appears in the exhibition

Contributed photo An artwork by Wolfgang Ritschel of Cincinnati, originally from Austria, Harlem Soul Food, New York acrylic on canvas 2004, appears in the exhibition "Reflections, " opening Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Richard O Jones, Staff Writer 1:41 AM Friday, September 11, 2009

HAMILTON — Four artists demonstrate distinct approaches to setting and storytelling in the Fitton Center for Creative Arts’ next exhibition, “Reflections.”

Opening Saturday, Sept. 12, the exhibition includes work by painters Daryl Urig and Wolfgang Ritschel, photographer Ahn Jun, and painter/printmaker KK Kosik.

“When artists apply for exhibitions separately, I’m always looking for connections for grouping them together,” said director of exhibitions Cathy Mayhugh. “These four artists are all working with spaces, both landscapes and interiors, but they explore their subject matter at a deeper level.”

Urig, a native of the Akron area now living in Harrison, Ohio, has submitted work from three different series, including a set of images from his attempt at creating a painting a day for a year.

“I paint the things I see in everyday life,” he said in his gallery statement. “My inspirations are the things I love because I must love what I paint.”

Many of the paintings are from a “garden series” that features his wife as the model.

Ritschel, a native of Vienna, Austria, now living in Cincinnati, was a university professor and medical researcher before devoting himself full-time to painting. “Reflections” includes several paintings from his “Roads of America” series, and includes colorful Impressionistic scenes from Manhattan to San Francisco, with stops in the Deep South and other parts of the country along the way.

“He’s capturing his feelings about the places and the culture of these places he’s visited in our country,” Mayhugh said.

Jun, born in South Korea and now living in New York City, has photographed run-down and abandoned factories and buildings in parts of Asia, including traditional masks and bright clothing to mark a connection between the past and the present for her series, “Derelinquo et Vestigium.”

“Her work speaks to the changing world,” Mayhugh said, “capturing the spirit, energy and activity of places that used to be.”

Kozik’s paintings and prints appear simple at first glance, but the details reveal a dynamic narrative that begins to unfold in front of the viewer.

“Those aren’t just happy domestic scenes,” Mayhugh said of Kosik paintings in the exhibition. “There’s something going on in all of them that is very mysterious and intriguing and makes you want to study them.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.