Richard Glick
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Sep 26
- 4 min read
Richard Glick creates layered paintings that explore memory, transformation, and the vastness of space. His recent works, including “Joyce’s Journey” and “Our House with Peach Pie Skies,” reflect both personal moments and a fascination with the cosmos. Built up slowly through paint, ink, and stencils, each piece carries physical depth and emotional weight. Glick often revisits older paintings, reworking them over time, allowing the process to remain open. Music is a steady part of his studio life, shaping rhythm and mood as he paints.
Q: Your paintings often circle around the planets, stars, and space. What keeps you drawn to that vast subject?
A: Do you remember being in high school and watching astronauts land on the moon? I do. My work is about the very fabric of this new era of technology that was sparked by the space race. I am intrigued by the world that gathers around us. My focus is on our Earth, planets, stars, moons, spheres, our atmosphere — the universe. Maybe this is an escape for me — to explore other parts of the universe.
Q: You've said you never see a painting as finished. What makes you want to return and rework older pieces?
A: What interests me is the process of layering materials to achieve a rich texture and depth of the surface of a canvas. From a distance, you see the design — the shapes and the colors — of the painting. But as you move closer to the surface, you take in the layers peeling through one another and the true depths of the materials.
I sometimes think adding and removing layers of paint are very similar to a societal desire to hide from the unknown. One moment I want to cover these images, the next I want to reveal them in all their glory. In the end, I am both excited by — and hesitant to enter — the world that exists beyond my control.
Q: In "Joyce's Journey" you connect personal loss with cosmic imagery. How did this painting come together for you?
A: I'm sharing a piece I recently completed, a 48" square canvas that was a labor of love. It features many layers of paint, inks, and stencils, with borders and various vertical, horizontal, and diagonal elements, all reaching upwards with a few "hiccups" on the way. This artwork is deeply personal to me. It's dedicated to my sister, who passed away a few years ago after a long battle with cancer.
She was an incredibly brilliant and outgoing person, and one of my biggest supporters. I truly hope she would be pleased with the result. And the blue tone was her favorite color.
Q: "Our House with Peach Pie Skies" turns an ordinary setting into something otherworldly. What inspired the mix?
A: I'm so glad you chose this particular painting for review. I completed this piece last winter, and it's deeply connected to my experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During that time, I was fortunate to have a painting studio close to my home. Each day, I would immerse myself in painting, finding a much-needed escape from the challenging realities of the world. On Saturday nights, a small group of friends and I formed a "bubble," gathering at someone's home for dinner before heading back to our own places.
In the painting, the lower section represents the home structure, with touches of red symbolizing the death and sorrow surrounding us. The upper section is the happier part, reflecting our shared love for peach desserts and the slower, more intimate moments we experienced during that period.
Q: You build layers over time, adding and deleting elements. What do those stages give to the final image?
A: Each piece of my artwork is the result of an exercise in progression. It is my thoughts and creative interpretations, an expression of concepts using shapes, texture, and layers on canvas. Within each piece I am looking back in time and forming a foundation for work that is meant to interpret the universe of today and the future.
My work is not meant to be representational, rather each piece is the expression of three universes, first beginning with my personal history — a reflection of my story as I look back in time. Next is an expression of the world around me, my "fit" within today's complex universe.
And the last is my place as I look forward in a world of constant upheaval. With this foundation, I develop my interpretations, collectively or personally, and often personally, to create art that is a balance of composition, color, shape, and scale.
Q: Music stays close to your process, like Mary J. Blige's "Stairway to Heaven" with "Joyce's Journey." How does sound guide your painting?
A: Music is a huge part of my painting process, so I'm happy you asked about it! I primarily listen to disco from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. I love the beat and sometimes the intensity, and it brings back so many fond memories.
I'm also thrilled that this genre provided so many Black women with the opportunity to make a great living from their talents. Think of artists like Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer — who could ever forget "I Will Survive"?
