RICHIE CARTER
“Se Préparer”
Arcadia Contemporary is proud to present “Se Préparer,” the debut solo exhibition from Montana-based painter Richie Carter. The exhibition will open with a reception on Thursday, May 9th from 6pm to 8pm. Se Préparer will feature 22 new oil paintings, a visual survey of Carter’s memories and experiences from his travel throughout Paris over the last six years.
In this new body of work, each painting serves as a chapter in a larger narrative that Carter constructs through his repeated engagements with the city of Paris, particularly a Parisian vista located in Montmartre (XVIII Arrondissement). While the works may conjure themes of voyeurism, Carter asserts, “These paintings are very autobiographical; if arranged in a certain sequence, they would tell a very personal series of stories about memory, grief, and transformation. Furthermore, the exhibition is not just a presentation of landscapes but an exploration of universal experiences.”
Carter’s love of Europe began in 2003. Enamored by its history, architecture, and multiculturalism, this fascination led him, like many artists of the past including John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler, to study abroad. From 2009-2010, Carter lived and worked in Northern France at the Université de Picardie Jules Verne in Amiens and found his muse in France. Currently living and working in Montana, Carter relies on his plein air studies, memories, and sketches to create his paintings. This process results in a tonal aesthetic reminiscent of painter and writer Russell Chatham (1939-2019), another Montana native who has inspired Carter’s work.
The title of the exhibition, “Se Préparer” (its English translation is “To Prepare Oneself”), is fitting as frequenting the same place and city helped to prepare him for the creation of this body of work. The painting titled “We Always Do,” a reference to musician Ray LaMontagne’s lyrics, holds a special nostalgia for Carter: “It evokes a sense of melancholy and at the same time hope, a reliquary of the transformation of pain into beauty.” This painting and several other works center around the apartment that has become a special sanctuary for Carter. This location offers a unique vantage point over the city, combining the historical depth of Paris with the intimate moments of daily life visible through the windows and on the rooftops.
Richie Carter (b.1988) was raised just outside of Kalispell, Montana, and received a BFA from The University of Montana. “Se Préparer,” his debut exhibition with Arcadia Contemporary, will be on view from May 9-26, 2024. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 9th, 2024, from 6-8 pm, which is open to the public.
All dimensions provided do not include the frames.
30” x 60”
40” x 40”
42” x 33”
Oil on Linen
32” x 40”
27” x 42”
30” x 16”
on Linen
30” x 16”
Oil on Linen
18” x 24”
Oil on Linen
20” x 16”
Oil on Linen
18” x 16”
18” x 15”
Oil on Linen
16” x 12”
Oil on Linen
8” x 16”
Oil
9” x 12”
Oil on Linen
12” x 9”
12” x 8”
Oil on Linen
5.5” x 10”
10” x 8”
