Meet Richard Ross | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I don’t think of my art as a business, although I’ll acknowledge that it is. My thought process was that I was born with a voice, and had the choice to make a noise with it, or not. So I have followed where my voice has led me, and honed the message I was wanting to express with it via my art.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Almost 30 years ago, I was working a job at a car rental establishment connected to a dealership. There would be periods of quiet, and I found myself typing the road to the store, over and over. I spent most of my early life playing music, but was developing my visual art at this time. So, the phrase, the road to the store kept creeping up out of my subconsciousness. A part of post modernism is the creation of a metanarrative. The road to the store has become this for me. To put this into a visual context took a few years. I was early on influenced by Paul Klee’s lectures on art and simplicity in placement of visuals to communicate a story or feeling. While in Paris, I became introduce to Jean Dubuffet’s work. The rawness of his work and its simplicity, really spoke to me. But I couldn’t find the freedom of releasing my opinion of techniques to get the simplicity I was looking to find. One day in a painting class, I asked a teacher what he thought of a piece I was working on needed. He told me I was too tight, and took a brush, loaded it with turquoise paint and made a circle of paint around the eye of a figure I was painting. It was at that moment that I understood. I was freed from the vanity of technique and allowed to paint what my voice wanted to express. The paintings from this time were very raw, with bright colors. Each were a specific story or idea. My metanarrative, the road to the store was still growing in my sketchbooks. A mythology of characters were forming there, and finally made their way into my works. This was a process that took about 10 years, and for the past 20 years or so, I have been focused on this story line. New characters have developed over the years, as well as, using placement and esoteric influenced symbols to aid in my story line.Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m more familiar with Deep Ellum and East Dallas. I lived in Ft Worth for 10 years, but it has changed so dramatically since then. So, I know, Kettle Gallery, Uncle Ubers, and the Heights would be visited. I would guess if a museum was in store I would start with the Nasher, then the DMA. If we were to go over to Fort Worth the Modern would be the destination, with the Botanical Gardens as a post visit. Scat Jazz and Sundance Square would be an evening destination in Ft Worth.The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
God, Frank Campagna, Kettle Art, Everyone of the Kettle Crew. Ricki Derek, Amanda (Pea) Warr, Erica Felicella, Sarah Jane Semrad, Pigeon stone project, and ArtCon, Cabe Booth, Mark Nelson, Sergio Garcia, Kirk Hopper, Miguel Elias Aguilar, Dylan Hollingsworth, Hal Samples, Jo Dufo, Kevin Brown, John Bargainier, Bruce Hartin, LeeAnn Olivier, Lori Ross, Riley Ross, Paxton Maroney, Jesse Sierra Hernandez, Nick Gibbons, Bob Suffolk, Paul Armstrong, Mike Napodano, David Page, Patrick McComb, Angela Raulston, Randy Jones, Sharon Bridges, Jeff Aldridge and Breck Outland. Along with the Bible, Paul Klee, Jean Dubuffet, Edgar Lee Masters, Aesop, Richard Brautigan, Charles Bukowski, Kenneth Patchen, Michael Fairless, Punk music, Jazz, soul and gospel, folk lore and the Farmers Almanac

Website: www.angrypea.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dickyvantastic

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-ross-37968232/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angrypeaRichardLRoss

Image Credits
Picture of me by Erica Felicella