AVAILABLE WORKS

 

recently sold

RICH HARRINGTON

American, b. 1958

My work is an exploration of the cultural origins of and influences on gay identity. I use toys, games, teaching materials, and pop culture icons of my formative years to create fun but provocative autobiographical works of social commentary. The work includes painting, sculpture, and assemblage. The images and text I use have existed already to portray one narrative – I reassign and re-contextualize these images and text to create another narrative that also existed, but was invisible, as was I. Through this process, I open a pathway into both worlds to create a sense of place and belonging.

Much of the work is comprised of multiple pieces; referencing assimilation through repetition; a teaching method used in my elementary school academic and social experience. Images are culled from past pop culture sources, including toys, games, books, and family photographs. I bring these dated images into the present by making subtle changes and adjustments, and by so doing, the work reflects my true self.

The work is infused with a sense of humor that embraces the audience. Recognizable icons, materials, and objects draw viewers into what appears to be a world of the familiar, however upon closer inspection, this assumption is radically challenged and at times, a disquieting response becomes palpable. It is in this moment my work becomes a bridge to a world that existed in parallel to the familiar but was invisible like I was. I have revisited and rewritten my own experiences to include and acknowledge my own human existence and search for place.

– RH

View artist CV here

View artist interview here