Ryman’s series are constructed from cumulative, cross-media processes in which he builds and photographs sculptural models, using the cropped and flattened images to make derivative photosculptural works. Each series is initially constructed according to distinct structural and perceptual considerations, the derivative photo-sculptural assemblages preserving these meticulously layered material elements. Ryman’s work has long drawn inspiration from an extensive study of urban architecture, particularly attuned to the intricately converging architectural planes that compose cityscapes. Though structurally the work evades representational forms, his process is critically underpinned by successive architectonic decisions and considerations; through this framework, the work may recall elements of an architectural vocabulary, such as facades, atriums, ledges, sills, soffits, hinges, balconettes, chambers, casements, and fenestrations.

The resulting visual language of Ryman’s work deceptively sways between degrees of abstraction, representation, and dimensionality. Each of the series on view aims to examine its origins of dimensionality and objecthood, further provoking conversations about perceptions, assumptions, and evaluations conditioned by the human eye.