Ridley Howard's Surreal Travel Pictures Exhibition at Marinaro Gallery

Ridley Howard's exhibition Travel Pictures at Marinaro Gallery in New York from May 3 to June 18, 2017, presents surreal paintings that blend abstract and figurative elements. The works, including pieces like Miami Beach View, Passeggiata, Rome, Kissers in the Mountains, Benvenuti Lovers, and Winter Painting, feature dreamlike settings with cyborgian humans and illogical details, evoking comparisons to Luigi Ghirri's photographs and Felliniesque aesthetics. Howard collapses abstract and figurative modes into single compositions, a strategy he developed around 2013, creating scenes that mix architecture, sex, shapes, and patterns. The paintings often reference 1970s European movie-poster design, with influences from filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard and Michelangelo Antonioni. Howard's delicate touch is evident in small gestures, such as a red line in Winter Painting, and his characters exhibit airbrushed, blank facial smoothness. The exhibition challenges expectations with its oddball, surreal approach rather than anodyne travel scenes, showcasing Howard's formal experimentation.