Bruce Ricker's Biography


Bruce Ricker grew up in Carmel Valley, California, in the 1950's. Two years as an art major at San Francisco State left him dissatisfied. Although he was eager to refine his skills, he felt he was merely getting indoctrinated into the "proper" ideas about art. In 1968, he enrolled in the School of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. Here, design was a more precise and teachable endeavor than art, and Ricker felt that he benefited from this discipline. He began a career in architecture, but felt increasingly drawn to his true calling as an artist. So in the mid 70's, Ricker began painting more seriously and selling his artwork to an ever-widening audience.

Ricker's style of painting is rooted in his powers of observation. With this as a foundation, Ricker then begins to introduce the effects of sunlight, wind and water. Sensual patterns and textures emerge.

Over the years, Ricker has built a language of shapes that are notable for their detail and articulate precision, as well as their vision of nature more internal and mystical than photorealistic. It is a borderline between art and science, chaos and order, the real and the imaginary, that Bruce Ricker explores; a fertile ground for seeing life in a newer, more interesting, and ultimately more meaningful way.