Bicentennial of the French Revolution Signed Ryder 1989 - Acrylic on Canvas

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The Enchanted World of Ryder is all about the artwork, with no back story behind the artist himself. Ryder is … Read more The Enchanted World of Ryder is all about the artwork, with no back story behind the artist himself. Ryder is no more, no less than a name on a piece of paper. No artist biography to influence your impressions, just the art laid bare. Ryder allows the art to do the talking and allows the audience to make their analogies.

The artwork produced by the mysterious artist is fantasy art, which takes the viewer on an imaginary journey. It is more about the viewer than the artist. The artist develops a scenario to unlock the imagination of the viewer, and as such, fantasy art pieces have some of the most varied interpretations. Ryder’s art pieces are gateways into his alternate universe, where anything is possible. His choice of bright colors and themes make this a cheerful world full of positive energy.
"My work is inspired by the need to escape from the harsh realities of this world"

In art, a critical dichotomy persists between the expression of joy and its authentication in the pictorial framework. Rydor's 1989 canvas presents a factual scene from French collective history: the Bastille Day of July 14, 1789, depicted with a palette of bright colors and shapes characteristic of the Free Figuration movement. This date marks the intervention of the French people, here in the context of their emancipation and the conquest of freedom. Under the presidency of François Mitterrand, the "La Marseillaise" parade organized by Jean-Paul Goude on July 14, 1789, and attended by many foreign heads of state, was a highlight of the celebrations of the bicentennial of the French Revolution. Day and night, France offered itself to the world, radiating joy, creativity, and freedom.

Emerging in the 1980s, Free Figuration embraced a non-academic aesthetic, employing vivid color and form to convey a language of popular culture and uninhibited imagination. In the aftermath of 1968, this movement reconnected with a deliberately naive and popular art form influenced by pop art, graffiti, and neo-expressionism.

Rydor stages the 200th anniversary of the national holiday by integrating the Eiffel Tower into the work, transforming it into a playful monument topped with the French flag. This imagery blends with an enchanted horizon animated by fanciful elements such as the fish rocket, symbolizing boundless freedom. Balloons rise into the sky, and little clouds float.

The painting, defined by sharp contours and bold black lines framing spaces filled with uniform colors, conveys a message of energy and engagement.

This celebration, depicted on canvas, engages profound questions about authenticity, cultural representation, and societal discourse. The painting encapsulates the complex interrelation between apparent and genuine joy and beautifully illustrates how the free figuration movement captures the diversity and complexity of the human spirit and its fights through art. See less