Ryck Rudd
Worthless Refuse II

'Worthless Refuse II' is part of an ongoing series of oil paintings by Australian artist Ryck Rudd (b. 1991) that draw upon motifs from Greco-Roman tales and mythologies.

Rudd is a true painter in every sense. He works with what he sees and believes, often in a traditional way; first drawing from his sketchbooks in single and compositional sketches, then moving onto larger canvas. His choice of colours reminds us of the Nabis school, which used predominantly pleasing and engaging palette. This strikes a great contrast to the disturbing images he paints, often involving ideas of want, lust, violence, as part of a broader psychological commentary on the human condition.

In 'Bathroom Scene', for instance, a gloved lady holds a cake in an ambiguous pose; either about to drop it on the girl in the pink bath or holding it away from her. Both are pertinent outcomes. Meanwhile a blindfolded boy lurks in the foreground, turned away from the two women, probably in some distress. The images are hard and confrontational, and we see that the characters are tormented by their immediate surrounding.