"Flower Salad"
Riha Rothberg and Wayne Mikosz
Placitas, NM
acrylic on canvas 48 x 48
click on image to see it in a larger clear format
The Luck of the Draw
It was literally pure chance that placed our two solo shows on the same dates in May of 1995. The first collaborative pieces were created in the spring of 1995, for the exhibition at Santa Fe Contemporary Art entitled "A Convergence". The initial experiment was a mixed media work on paper that we labored over independently, passed back and forth from studio to studio over a period of several weeks. Next we tried working on monotypes, still passing the plated back and forth, but working in the studio at the same time. We were discovering that we shared a common language of mark-making, color, and rhythm.
A day came when we agreed to try painting on canvas together, at the same time - two artists who had never before felt inclined to share the solitary process of art making, even with observers. It worked beautifully. There was very little need for conversation, we simply painted together.
Soon, the collaborative work found representation at several galleries across the country. People are fascinated (as we still are) by our process. Naturally, We each continue to work independently as well. Our collaborations are enhanced by our own paths of experiment and discovery.
Wayne Mikosz Riha Rothberg
keep your eye out for more of Riha and Wayne in the very near future