Artist 16: Rita Ackermann

Rita Ackermann was born in 1968 in Hungary. She attended the University of Fine Arts Budapest and then moved to New York City, where she then began studying at The New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture.

From what I have seen of her work, the subjects she uses in the majority of her pieces are women, many look like typical teenage girls doing typical teenage things. However, there are always exceptions, such as "Shaman" on the right. Anything but typical, though strangely interesting, this piece depicts a woman in what reminds me of a ring master's uniform (from the circus, you know) sitting on top of a humanoid, well, creature who seems to be ready to devour a baby. It seems like the woman in the top hat and coat is in control of the situation, giving this an even more ominous feeling.

In a few of her other pieces, she's used similar figures in a collage-like feel, having them in slightly different positions, overlapping each other in the piece. What I like about this artist is rather simple, and it's just the way that she draws people. It's very simple yet very elegant. This elegance continues even though the actual art may not seem very elegant, and yet the figures do. As far as her figures go, less is more, and it gives me something to think about when I do my own work. This doesn't necessarily mean that I want my figure to look like hers, but it reminds me not to overwork my figures. Less is more!