In a simple, yet very distinct style Ryan Nord Kitchen (1988) depicts semi-abstract playgrounds, parks and other recreational scenaries. The works are clearly naivistic in both representation and color, which could suggest a joyful tone. But the obvious lack of inhabitants – as well as the monotonous gesture responsible for the wavy outline of clouds, trees, rivers and bushes – leaves us wondering: What else is missing in this picture?
With his child-like paintings, Nord Kitchen emulates the innocence of youth, which acts as a trojan horse for a very deliberate approach to composition and representation. Nord Kitchen approaches a classic discipline with a confidence and conviction that is deeply appealing. Inarguably, Nord Kitchen’s works has decorative aspects, but the true quality of his paintings is the sense of belonging in a world that only shows half the picture.