Geoffrey Ricardo

‘The thematic basis of much of my work is commentary on myself and or humankind; you could say, the human condition. I am often trying to reflect a feeling of sense and senselessness, absurdity, tragedy and comedy, play and pathos.

Much of the work begins with a central idea or theme. A simple sketch then worked into a more finished form via printmaking, painting or sculpture. I often roam around a few repeated themes or motifs. This has become almost cyclical with some of my images. I am always looking for different ways to extend and develop my imagery, often revisiting older images in different mediums. What may start as print, may end in a sculpture or begin again in a painting, or where it began. I am always trying to give a sense of life to an emotion, an idea or an expression.

My influences come from many sources – from long dead painters and great literature, to the sublime beauty of the world, to the mundane junk mail in my letterbox. It all gives me a perspective on myself and the world around me. Makes me laugh and makes me cry, either way it gives me something spend my time on.’

Photograph by Robert Hague