Books 1994

Curator: Charles Ritchie’s "Books," rendered in 1994 using graphite, charcoal and pencil, presents us with an intriguing still life. Editor: My first impression is one of quietude, even a little melancholy. The monochrome palette and subdued lighting create a very intimate space, almost like glimpsing a private moment. Curator: Indeed. Note the composition. Ritchie arranges books and a tea kettle along a shelf or table, all under a stark light that highlights their forms. See how the geometry is activated? The straight edges of the books, the almost perfect rectangle leaning on the books themselves; there is something comforting in how the forms play off of one another. Editor: That geometry feels purposeful. The placement suggests a kind of curated disarray. A straight edge placed across a stack of knowledge is compelling. How the books and tools are displayed may comment on education or the creation of knowledge. Is this suggesting art and intellect have a similar framework? Or is the teacup interrupting such seriousness with a promise of rest? Curator: I am not entirely certain there is tension, more interplay of shadow and texture. Look at how Ritchie uses light to model the surfaces, the subtle gradations of tone giving the objects a tangible presence. Notice too how these techniques enhance depth? Editor: Shadow play gives the still life so much power, does it not? As if we’ve stumbled upon someone's workspace, a site that shows objects used, beloved, left, and returned to over the course of an industrious life. This might speak to what to whom those stories might belong; that is the real substance of this image. Curator: I appreciate your insight. The somber mood creates space to consider the relationship between art and the every day, inviting the audience to draw meaning between technique and a certain emotional context. Editor: And the shadows can be a reminder of who has historically had the privilege to ponder such connections. Curator: Precisely, the image opens for our examination the complex connections between seemingly opposing structures of daily routine and knowledge production, as we search for balance and meaning in what surrounds us.