At the heart of Giles Ryder’s practice lies an exploration of oppositional relationships, combining the experiential nature of painting with the spatial relationships generated by sculpture. His work refers to the traditional painting methods of the past whilst riding a neon wave of light and colour into a shiny not-too-distant future. Surface, light and movement are some of his main concerns; these are reflected in the materiality of his work: aluminium, neon lights, pearlescent paint, and layer upon layer of clear auto lacquer.
 
His works on aluminium consist of layers of graduating, fluorescent columns of colour. Flat, but slightly curved, as the bonnet of some technicolour automobile, the luminous surface of the work moves and changes according to light source and the movement of the viewer. As such, these industrial slabs of     hand-shaped metal present a challenge of perception and an exploration of form, surface and the psychological effect of colour.
 
Within Ryder’s practice the readymade coexists with the handmade, as does light with dark and monochrome with colour. In his neon light works he trades the anonymity of industrial spray paint for the more gestural approach of creating lines and shapes from fluorescent tubes of light. Combining found neon signage with custom made lights presented on a monochromatic painted surface the work achieves an immediacy made possible by the merging of painting and site. Through his use of the reflective surface Ryder concerns the viewer with their own presence in the space and their relationship to the work. Traversing a line between minimalism and abstraction, Ryder utilises materials that are the remnants of modern life in a big city: the shiny new car as a symbol of status, the garish glow of 24 hour advertising and the gleaming reflection of polished interiors.
 
Recently awarded a 2008 Anne and Gordon Samstag Visual Arts Scholarship, Giles Ryder will travel to Europe later this year to embark on 12 months of study.  He was also the recipient of the 2006 RIPE emerging artist award (ANZ and Art & Australia Contemporary Art Award). Since completing his Masters of Visual Arts at the University of Sydney, he has exhibited extensively, including NEW06 (curated by Juliana Engberg) at ACCA. Recent solo shows include GR06 at John Buckley Gallery, Lightworks at George Petelin Gallery, and Some Kind of Electric at Peloton Gallery where he is co-curator and founding director.

Jessica Matrakis (Block Projects)