Untitled, ink on paper

Ryan Tippery produces mixed media works that seem to reference natural textures while toeing the line between representation and abstraction. Frequently using ink and acrylic paint as media, the artist’s works are high-contrast and desaturated.

Untitled, ink and acrylic on paper

There’s a certain satisfying simplicity to Tippery’s works. I like being able to focus on the texture of both the materials being used and the patterns and marks being made. The artist seems to favor black ink and white acrylic paint on a natural, beige-colored paper with lends a nice sense of warmth to images that might otherwise be quite stark and cold.

Tippery’s ink marks make me think of wood grain and tree bark, and are vaguely reminiscent of the works of Caro Wilson, where the artist uses tree rings as an aesthetic choice. These very organic-looking patterns are blocked out across the paper in perfectly measured geometric patterns, which creates yet another pleasant level of visual contrast. 

Untitled, ink and acrylic on paper