PHOTO BROOKE D’AVANZO
Rocco Ritchie wants to be taken seriously and he should.
Resist the temptation to reduce him to his famous parents — Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie, two talents with mega fame. Despite growing up in the glare of the media, the London-based artist isn’t blinded, or seemingly interested at all, in the fame game (or apparently trading off Madonna’s sizable social media reach.) For the past several years, he has been steadily and stalwartly creating art primarily under the radar. That is about to change with a private showing of his latest work, “Pack a Punch,” that debuts Wednesday evening through April 11 in Miami’s Design District via Jessica Draper.
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During an interview Tuesday afternoon, Ritchie spoke about his work and his parents, and a bit about his girlfriend Olivia Monjardin, who accompanied him to last month’s premier of his father’s knockout Netflix series “The Gentlemen.” Above all though, Ritchie wanted to talk about his art. Unhurried and direct, Ritchie considered each question for a few beats before responding — another glimmer of his seriousness about the subject.
Having been painting since the time he was a child, Ritchie attended Central Saint Martins and then the Royal Drawing School before embarking on his art career. But by the time he had reached his early high school years in London, art had become a more serious pursuit and path. “I wasn’t a very academically strong individual so I pursued the arts. I studied life drawing and that gave me more of a draftsman skill,” he said. “It was 24/7. I was just constantly doing it.”
And still is to the degree that when the artist does allow himself to take a little break from the work, he can usually be found in one of two places. “It’s either in a gallery or in the studio,” Ritchie said.
Having grown up in London at a time when there was a booming art market, Ritchie, of course, made the most of the city’s galleries and museums, where there was almost “always a good contemporary art show.” London remains home, and its culture and vibe still suit him. His own most recent contemporary show of charcoal drawings was influenced by the drawings of the German-British painter Frank Auerbach, a pillar in the School of London. “I’m definitely going through a heavy British artists phase at the moment such as [Francis] Bacon, [Lucien] Freud, Aeuerbach, [David] Hockney,” Ritchie said. “Even going back a few centuries, [there is] Rembrandt and [Francisco} Goya.”
When people ask Ritchie to describe the type of art that he does, he leans on the figurative side of things. “That is about as far as I would go in describing it. I think showing the work is easier.”
As for whether there is anything that he wishes people would draw from his own work, Ritchie said, “In a way, it’s up to them.”
Ritchie slipped into the art scene fairly quietly a few years ago, creating art under the pseudonym “Rhed.’” Such anonymity has evaporated. “It’s a bit late for that now,” Ritchie said dryly.
That alias was a way to protect his anonymity and to pursue art more seriously. “Yeah, I was super young. I just thought, ‘I need to get a few years [in] showing and having a gallery. That was important or I would be completely written off.’”
While recognition in his work has been simmering up in recent months, the 23-year-old still can often be found in London’s museums with the Royal Academy of Arts being a current favorite. “It’s the most beautiful building and it has great stuff,” referring to the 17th-century mansion on Piccadilly that is connected to a 19th-century former university building. The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark is another top choice.
With a multiplatinum musician mother, who has headlined 12 concert tours, and an accomplished director father, whose portfolio includes 14 features films, Ritchie’s world view has been shaped through intercontinental travel. “I’ve definitely been lucky enough to experience and see the world. It’s changed not only my work, but how I view stuff in general. This show, for example, was inspired by my trip to Thailand. When I saw Muay Thai and boxing there, [I decided that] I’ve got to do a show around this.”
Essentially, “there is an essence of traveling and how everything is constantly changing” in all of his work. Ritchie explained, “If you’re a good artist, you change yourself so that you’re not stuck in one mood.”
Earlier this year, Ritchie did a show in Milan that entailed painting a model live at the Palazzo Reale, while musicians played “Bolero” and an intimate audience including Madonna looked on. Asked if his fame is an advantage or disadvantage, given that people might draw conclusions or have preconceptions about him, Ritchie said, “I think people always judge you for whatever you are. Obviously, that means being labeled as such as, which in a way is kind of their problem and not mine. And it’s up to me to focus on doing the work, and committing to my passion and my love toward making art,” Ritchie said. “I think that if I’m serious about what I do over time, the work will speak for itself.”
Nor does he wish that people understood anything better about his famiy or his life. “No, not really,” Ritchie said simply.
His ultra-creative parents, (who divorced in 2008) would seem to be primo to bounce ideas off about art and design (given that both have collectively built a vault of music, films, books, content, products and other creative ventures.) Ritchie does talk to them about that a bit, but not too much. “I would rather show them the finished work rather than as a concept,” Ritchie said.
As for how their input or opinions influence Ritchie’s work, he said, “Well, I love them dearly so obviously I care in terms of what they say. They’re also very talented in what they do,” Ritchie said. “I definitely draw inspiration from their work. They are both very hardworking. It’s not so much from their work itself, but how hard they work. That’s one thing that I will carry on.”
So much so that their work ethic is his takeaway from years of advice. “It’s just ‘Work, work, work. Keep your head down and move on,’” he said.
He also talks art and design with Monjardin, who also studied at Central Saint Martins. “She is my girlfriend, so we do share that interest. It’s a huge part of our relationship. I’m an artist.”
But the striking couple has no plans to work together in a more formal way. “Definitely not, definitely not — I think you keep work and pleasure very separate.”
And as for how Ritchie likes to have fun, he mused, “I don’t know what would normal people do to have fun? I like food. I like being with close friends and family, and that’s it.”
While Madonna has collaborated with and is connected to a myriad of designers including Tom Ford, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Donatella Versace and Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Ritchie has had a closer look at the designer world than most emerging artists. He said that fashion design is of course something that he is quite interested in. “That’s a great art form in itself. I’m a little preoccupied in my own department right now. It’s a little too soon to say.”
Visually, Ritchie favors an aesthetic through music, art and time that tends to be more elegant, chicer and classical rather than contemporary. His decision to unload something more contemporary — a brown couch via DM ratcheted up all sorts of social media opinions, Ritchie said it was more of a social experiment than him just selling a couch. His conclusion? “I think people have too much time on their hands,” he said.
“Definitely committed” to his work, Ritchie said, “Regardless of where I come from, or what people associate you with, the art will speak the loudest over how many decades the work will be viewed,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to work with good people in the art world. It’s not just about selling your work. It’s about placing the work in the right places with the right people.”
