Well, this is nice

Ryan Larvin

I first discovered Ryan Larvin’s work when I went to the Red Brick Mill, my intention was to see one of street artist Blek Le Rat’s works – but what I found was an inspiring and interesting artist who has perhaps made a profound influence on my work and practice.

These relatively basic figures are beautiful in their simplicity. The colours that Ryan Larvin has employed create a sombre mood, the image itself reminds me of summer when the colours in the sky become vivid and intense. The figures themselves are going about their lives, quite similar to L. S. Lowry’s matchstick men and matchstick women. The myriad of blobs that make up the leaves on the tree contrast starkly in comparison with the plain surroundings. I♥U which is inscribed upon the tree looks very childlike, very reminiscent of what almost everybody did when they were younger – carve or draw the name of their first love onto anything solid.

Love Can Be Busy

What makes Ryan Larvin’s paintings so interesting and delightful to look at is the scale, 40 X 16 in this case, they are by no means huge in proportion but they allow the viewer to be completely absorbed within the warm, little, peaceful worlds that he creates. A reoccurring theme in Ryan Larvin’s work is love; this is explored by variations in tones and shades of colour. Love is something that everybody seeks and these paintings help to portray the feelings that love can produce, the Beatles wrote songs about love, well Ryan Larvin paints about love – and like the Beatles he is bloody damn good at it.