Ryan Quirt. 1982 - Forever. He Was Hip. He Liked to Dance.

A retrospective of the Minneapolis artist, Ryan Quirt, will be presented at XYandZ beginning August 29th, which marks the first time Ryan's work will be displayed for the public. Ryan passed away unexpectedly in May 2006 at the age of 24 leaving a legacy of over 4,200 pieces of art.

Ryan was born to create. This undeniable attribute reveals itself through the immensely vibrant body of work the artist has left behind. Effortless in his execution and relentless in his production, Ryan created artwork with every ounce of his being, as if it were a necessity.

Because Ryan was an avid expressionist, the full spectrum of his work could be described as bold, imaginative, playful, spontaneous, and free. The fluidity and grace of his curvilinear line work became the antithesis of the drama and rhythm of a variety of angular markings and geometric forms. Oftentimes a figure or figures will emerge, camouflaged within the abstract composition but rendered as if the picture were but a snapshot of some larger, raucous choreography.

The ingenuity and assertiveness in Ryan's artwork parallel the way he lived his life. Ryan's creative repertoire filled countless sketchbooks and sprawled its way across any markable surface the artist could find. Operating under the alias THNX, Ryan used graffiti art not only as a means of creative expression, but also as a way to build a community of artists from Minneapolis.

Reception: August 29, 7pm.