Scribbles, drips and cartoons.
The scribble represents a spontaneous artistic gesture that occurs at the inception of an idea. I love the idea of freezing the gesture, in a way memorializing it, as a constant reminder of what's possible.
Ryan Coleman’s work combines gestural abstract painting with carefully rendered elements inspired by classic cartoons. Intertwining bold shapes, vivid color schemes and traditional techniques found in vintage 2D cel animation, he reimagines entirely new compositions in his own distinctive form. While Coleman’s work primarily focuses on paintings and drawings, he also specializes in large-scale murals and installations.
Ryan Coleman (b. 1975) grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and received a BFA in painting from the Atlanta College of Art in 2001. He worked briefly in animation at the Cartoon Network after graduating, before moving to New York City where he served as a studio assistant to artist Jeff Koons for eight years while balancing hours in his own studio. In 2011, Coleman returned to Atlanta to focus on his own art career, where he has exhibited at the High Museum of Art, MOCA GA, and Sandler Hudson Gallery.
His work is included in notable collections at the High Museum of Art (Atlanta), Ritz-Carlton (Washington DC), Fairmont Empress Victoria (British Columbia), SCAD, Buzzispace Inc., Hilton Conrad Suites (Chicago), Marriott Renaissance Atlanta Airport among others.
