Artist Statement
My current body of work explores the concept of work ethic and the various ways in which it is quantified.
In my paintings I utilize imagery from activities that can be considered "leisurely labor" (fitness and strongman competitions as well as pick-your-own fruit). I choose these images to question whether or not an activity needs to seem undesirable to a participant in order to qualify as "work".
I also layer my chosen imagery in a manner that creates a certain level of chaos and confusion in the composition. This gives the viewer a sense of multiple struggles taking place in front of them, which are too numerous to discern.
In summary, this series of mixed media pieces conveys to the viewer that many (if not all) of us are contending with a sense of insufficiency. I also want the audience to gain an understanding of how one's own struggles can at times be too overwhelming to empathize with the struggles of another.
Artist Bio
Andrew Rieder was born and grew up in Raleigh, NC where he also attended NC State University’s College of Design and received his Bachelors of Art & Design. Later, Andrew moved to the Midwest to study painting and drawing and earn his BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He went on to receive his MFA in Painting from Michigan State University.
In 2010, Andrew began working in the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan where he continues to teach at Delta College as an Associate Professor of Art & Design. He lives in Owosso, MI with his wife and daughter.
My current body of work explores the concept of work ethic and the various ways in which it is quantified.
In my paintings I utilize imagery from activities that can be considered "leisurely labor" (fitness and strongman competitions as well as pick-your-own fruit). I choose these images to question whether or not an activity needs to seem undesirable to a participant in order to qualify as "work".
I also layer my chosen imagery in a manner that creates a certain level of chaos and confusion in the composition. This gives the viewer a sense of multiple struggles taking place in front of them, which are too numerous to discern.
In summary, this series of mixed media pieces conveys to the viewer that many (if not all) of us are contending with a sense of insufficiency. I also want the audience to gain an understanding of how one's own struggles can at times be too overwhelming to empathize with the struggles of another.
Artist Bio
Andrew Rieder was born and grew up in Raleigh, NC where he also attended NC State University’s College of Design and received his Bachelors of Art & Design. Later, Andrew moved to the Midwest to study painting and drawing and earn his BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He went on to receive his MFA in Painting from Michigan State University.
In 2010, Andrew began working in the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan where he continues to teach at Delta College as an Associate Professor of Art & Design. He lives in Owosso, MI with his wife and daughter.
