Ryan McCoy: From an Abyss
Wyatt Resident Artists Gallery
From an Abyss is artist Ryan McCoy’s response to the experience of living in America during the Covid-19 pandemic. Executed from just before the pandemic’s outset to the present moment, From an Abyss is McCoy’s visualization of the country’s staggering death toll, the emotional and psychological effects of sustained isolation and the repeated attacks on truth, facts and American democracy. Working in an abstract visual language, From an Abyss is McCoy’s response to a dark chapter in America’s history through stark abstract compositions, poetic gestures and canvases heavy with the weight of material accumulation.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ryan McCoy is an artist based in Washington DC and a resident artist at Arlington Arts Center. He works in various media but his primary body of work, developed over the last 15 years, includes paintings that combine specific materials, such as seawater, ash, rust, and baby powder to create iconographies about time, place, and memory.
His work has been exhibited at national and international venues, including Connersmith in Washington, DC; Latrobe Contemporary in Victoria, Australia; and Grizzly Grizzly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. McCoy’s paintings are included in numerous private collections throughout the U.S., Europe, South America, and Australia. He teaches at George Mason University.
RELATED EVENTS
Spring Exhibitions Virtual Reception / Thursday / April 8 / 6pm
Virtual Artist Talk: Thursday / May 13 / 6-7pm
