Fairytale phrases and contrasting light and dark colors combine to highlight the relationship between appearance and reality in Jessica Ritter's "Sugar Coated" at the Sarah Doyle Gallery. One can sense the tension underneath the focused embroidery and delicate painting that comprises many of the pieces, which range from traditional to more experimental.
Ritter RISD M.F.A. '03 intertwines crowns, bouquets and feathers throughout much of her work, which at first seems a light-hearted, girly take on a fairytale motif. Indeed, many of the pieces would be perfectly suited to the bedroom of a young girl. This simplicity is deceptive, however. Underneath the "sugar" one can find traces of sadness and loss.
Bright pink flowers burst from a creamy white vase in the painting "Princess Bride"; only after examining the image longer does the eye also notice the dying, wilted flowers in the background. Ritter explores the tendency to mask reality with sweet falsities in the painting "Sugar Coated," which emulates a candy label, stating, "Attention: This Product Has Been Sugar-Coated." The piece exposes society's tendency to hide ugliness and pain under false appearances of beauty.
Ritter does not confine her questions to painting but integrates wood, pillowcases and a wicker headboard into her work, creating a bedroom feel in the gallery space. A buttercup yellow satin pillowcase with an abstract painted design is paired with a painting on the wall above it; the arrangement adds to the domestic atmosphere. Her ability to transform household objects into artistic creations challenges viewers to consider the place of art in their own lives.
One of the highlights of the show is "Diamonds are a girl's best friend," which incorporates contrasting colors in a silkscreen print. Harsh red silhouettes of hair draped against mellow pinks, blues and greens create an abstract symphony of form and color. A closer look reveals the image of a dog superimposed upon a woman on all fours, returning to the theme of hidden ugliness.
All of Ritter's works are infused with swirls of movement - wisps of vines and flowers and organic shapes add a living quality to the work. The weakest piece of the show, "Light as a Feather," an abstract, childlike drawing, seems unfinished.
Ritter's exhibit raises more questions than it answers. Why do we try to escape through constructing fairy tales? What defines the boundary between fine art and handicrafts? Can an embroidered word on a pillowcase be considered art? She forces the viewer to examine his or her own illusions of reality, too often subverted by the message of fairytale perfection.
Ritter's art is just as much about appearances as it is about creating meaning. Her pieces require an active participation by the viewer to whittle away at the secrets that they conceal.
"Sugar Coated" runs through Nov. 30 at the Sarah Doyle Gallery. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
