Arts
Andrew Rice has always called the Rocky Mountain West region his home. Born in Aspen, CO, he received his BFA in printmaking from the University of Colorado in Boulder and his MFA in Salt Lake City, UT at the University of Utah, where he currently teaches printmaking. Artist Statement: Space is an elemental, yet often overlooked pillar of our existence. There is a duality to space. It has the ability to both liberate us, as well as enclose us. My own work investigates the psychological implications of the spaces that, on the one hand keep us alive, and on the other, prevent access from outside surroundings. Stemming from the 19th century ideas behind the Sublime as an exploration into that which simultaneously excites and terrifies us, I continue to examine this tension between spaces dualities. East v West, Urban v Rural, Left v Right, etc… As technology outpaces humanity’s ability to comprehend it, these investigations become more and more acute. I explore this conceptual and artistic nexus of space. I am interested in the contradiction between its limitations as well as its immensity, and that tension of the in-between. Within these spaces, I am drawn to their ability to be both a point of access as well as inaccessibility. Doorways and windows are our entryways in, but also how we keep things out. In my work, I face the viewer with the option of an entry or an exit. Are you invited in, or left out? The pieces are built up with multiple layers of material, whether it be oil paint stick, screen print ink, or collaged elements. While you may not see the information underneath the outermost layer, the information underneath provides the platform for what will ultimately be visible. There is a history created in the pieces, just as there is a history in the spaces we call our own.