« Richard Tronson’s photography vividly captures an inherent contradiction, portraying beings in a state of somnambulism, detached from the conventions of everyday conduct. These images feature familiar settings intertwined with enigmatic actions, creating a juxtaposition of uniformity in the environment and a void of substance within it. Tronson masterfully employs intentional contradictions to provoke a reevaluation of the familiar, inducing a deliberate sense of perplexity and prompting hidden complexities to rise to the forefront. »

Paul Ardenne

 

Richard Tronson’s paintings consistently revolve around the intricate realm of intimate memories, a subject notoriously challenging to capture in art. These remote impressions, when imbued with a sense of eroticism, metamorphose into fantastical imagery.

The character’s countenance appears detached, as if severed from her own self. A juxtaposition of a present body and an absent mind unfolds, seemingly estranged from the attire she adorns, drifting betwixt two distinct worlds.

In sharp contrast to the model’s enduring visage, the clothing assumes a chameleon-like quality. It reappears on the canvas in the form of diverse outfits and uniforms, often intertwined with elements of fetish materials.

Tronson’s highly realistic painting style draws inspiration from the late 19th-century art movements, ranging from the Pre-Raphaelites to artists like Khnopff, Klimt, Hammershoi, and Levy-Dhurmer.

In his most recent « Mud (De Boue) » series, the artist explores the interplay of fabric and organic matter in their myriad facets. This intermingling of different textures, such as silk, leather, or latex, with clay, the materia prima of creation, creates a fascinating fusion of elements.