RISD alum Jessica Ritter displays work at Sarah Doyle Gallery

by Mary Jo Curtis

Artist Jessica Ritter suspects nothing is as it appears to be.

Ritter, a recent graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, explores that concept in her new exhibition, "Sugar Coated," on display in the gallery at the Sarah Doyle Women's Center through Nov. 30.

Ritter combines a variety of techniques in her most recent paintings, displaying them along with several domestic items that she has embellished to reflect a healthy dose of skepticism toward the advertised tranquility of domesticity. One installation features a carved headboard carrying a wish for "Sweet Dreams" - and two pillows, one embroidered with the word "sweet," the other "bitter." A rendering of a wedding cake carries the fairytale legend, "Once upon a time in a far away land," while another domestic image includes messages of "Welcome," "Home, sweet home" and, in a more discreet space, "Bitter."

The exhibit could easily have been titled "Desperate Housewives, Providence."

"How do you really know if something is real or not?" asks Ritter. "It looks real, maybe even feels or smells real, but there is something a little off. You can't quite put your finger on it, but your gut tells you to question its validity.

"Lately I've been ultra-sensitive to the idea that nothing is at it appears on the surface," she adds. "We cover the good, the bad and the ugly with the beautiful. Everything is coated with beauty and decoration."

Ritter received a B.F.A. from the Massachusetts College of Art and an M.F.A. in printmaking from R.I.S.D. in 2003. Her work has been exhibited at the Copley Society of Art in Boston, at R.I.S.D. and Massachusetts College of Art. She lives in Providence.

The Sarah Doyle Women's Center is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 863-1781.