The art works of Scott Ratinoff vacillates between a modernist and a post-modernist sensibility. This playing with styles is purposeful as Ratinoff freely admits that he likes to “bounce back and forth between the styles and see how they influence each other and how they work when combined.” This shouldn’t be considered as artistic dithering but rather as conscious decisions. Ratinoff’s works are heavily influenced by such artists as Joan Mirò and Wassily Kandinsky as well as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Cy Twombly. The latter artists, of course, have distinctive graffiti-like qualities which as fine art expressions have translated into a collective present-day visual vocabulary -- working as a graphic artist, Ratinoff’s expressions are deeply embedded in this aesthetic.You can see Ratinoff’s interest in figurative art (primary interest is the head) in these works:
http://www.fishstickusa.com/2006/office_01.jpg http://www.fishstickusa.com/paintings/stainglass/head5.jpg http://www.fishstickusa.com/zonk05/mondrian_face01 http://www.fishstickusa.com/paintings/heads/calm.jpg
Heavily influenced by Mirò, here are some works where he is creating worlds out of shapes:
http://www.fishstickusa.com/zonk05/machine.jpg http://www.fishstickusa.com/zonk05/tree.jpg http://www.fishstickusa.com/zonk05/faces_01.jpg
His “messier more layered styles” as he refers to them have a foundation in post-modernism:
http://www.fishstickusa.com/2006/stage_01.jpg http://www.fishstickusa.com/2006/america_collage_01.jpg
Scott Ratinoff is also a singer/songwriter and performs under the moniker of Fishstick. Ratinoff writes:
There is no direct relationship between my music and art. But I do both because I always have a desire to create new things…They are valuable to each other because whenever I am in a big rut with one I can always fall back on the other. It’s nice to keep the mind creative while giving a little break to one medium.
Fishstick – Tired Smiles (mp3)
You can see and hear more of his work on his webpage:
http://www.fishstickusa.com/
Also, check out his MySpace site:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=19678177
4 comments:
Fishstick is a GOD! xxxxoo Maria the Belching Lesbian
Oy! That boy is such a mensch!
---Harvey Fierstein
I don't get it. This is not modernist, nor is it postmodern. It is another crappy example of mixed-media-ready-made-slap-it-together talentless stuff that we are all used to seeing. Get a style, take some classes, don't be a narcissist and focus on making quality work that has something to say.
The key word is "sensibility" -- it isn't a declaration of either movement. The author says that the artist comes from a commercial art perspective and that his visual vocabulary is made up of "stuff we are used to seeing" albeit more skillfully done than you give credit.
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