"Self Portrait" © 1994
Steve La Riccia, a Eugene, Oregon based self-unemployed artist is well know for his painterly SX-70 Polaroid manipulated photographic work for the past 30 years*. Also a figure in the Eugene art scene, producing the popular Salon des Refusés exhibition since 1991** and for over a quarter of a century, gallery coordinator for the New Zone Arts Collective***, an alternative non-profit art gallery.
In 2008 Polaroid announced the discontinuation of the SX-70 film, making the SX-70 photographic manipulation process a “lost art”. Wanting to move on and create something different and with a background in vacuum tube based television electronics, building ultralight flying machines, collecting old and odd mechanical devices and a knowledge of past history and science, La Riccia produced his first interactive assemblage. Exhibited in 2010, "Farnsworth's Dilemma" was a hit, people were excited by La Riccia's new direction into the "Steampunk" genre. "I had never heard of the term before", however La Riccia was somewhat familiar with the artform, researching it more and continued forward.
In 2011, La Riccia pulled out all the stops and produced his second interactive assemblage, “Wozniak’s Conundrum”, a circa 1990's Macintosh computer grafted onto a 19th century Remington typewriter into a fully functional working computer. “Wozniak’s Conundrum” soon received word-wide attention throughout the blogosphere and put La Riccia on the map. The next contraption, “Tesla’s Trepidation” is similar to his first piece, but on steroids, a steampunk home entertainment center that plays videos, dispenses alcoholic sprits and much more.
"I've had to adjust my creative process greatly". SX-70 Polaroid manipulations took only 15-20 minutes to create, using only the SX-70 camera, film and a stylus to manipulate the instant positive image. In contrast, these interactive contraptions are complex and complicated and can take months to produce.
In 2008 Polaroid announced the discontinuation of the SX-70 film, making the SX-70 photographic manipulation process a “lost art”. Wanting to move on and create something different and with a background in vacuum tube based television electronics, building ultralight flying machines, collecting old and odd mechanical devices and a knowledge of past history and science, La Riccia produced his first interactive assemblage. Exhibited in 2010, "Farnsworth's Dilemma" was a hit, people were excited by La Riccia's new direction into the "Steampunk" genre. "I had never heard of the term before", however La Riccia was somewhat familiar with the artform, researching it more and continued forward.
In 2011, La Riccia pulled out all the stops and produced his second interactive assemblage, “Wozniak’s Conundrum”, a circa 1990's Macintosh computer grafted onto a 19th century Remington typewriter into a fully functional working computer. “Wozniak’s Conundrum” soon received word-wide attention throughout the blogosphere and put La Riccia on the map. The next contraption, “Tesla’s Trepidation” is similar to his first piece, but on steroids, a steampunk home entertainment center that plays videos, dispenses alcoholic sprits and much more.
"I've had to adjust my creative process greatly". SX-70 Polaroid manipulations took only 15-20 minutes to create, using only the SX-70 camera, film and a stylus to manipulate the instant positive image. In contrast, these interactive contraptions are complex and complicated and can take months to produce.
/Steamworks R&D Labs
*SX-70 Polaroid Manipulations © 2010 - www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1664650
**An art exhibition for refused artists from Eugene's Mayor Art Show 1991-2023
*** www.newzonegallery.org e-mail - steamworkslabs@centurylink.net
*SX-70 Polaroid Manipulations © 2010 - www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1664650
**An art exhibition for refused artists from Eugene's Mayor Art Show 1991-2023
*** www.newzonegallery.org e-mail - steamworkslabs@centurylink.net
"King of Steam - Redux" Original acrylic: Alix Mosieur 2023, interactive assemblage: S. La Riccia 2024
The Imaginarium of Steamworks R & D Labs
Two years ago, Steve La Riccia took his kit-built ultralight flying machine to Nevada's Burning Man. He was flying over the vast area around the Black Rock Desert on that Labor Day weekend when he noticed a camp of folks below and landed to say hello. Steve enjoyed the conversation and a meal with the campers, who told him that they meet each Labor Day at the remote site for breakfast. So with promises of "same time next year", Steve flew back to Burning Man.
The following year, Steve flew back to the same spot in the desert and found his Labor Day breakfast dates Leo and Mary waiting for him. Somehow the conversation turned to art and Steve mentioned that he did SX-70 Polaroid manipulations. Mary said they had a friend in Reno who has a friend in Eugene who also did Polaroid manipulations. As a matter of fact they had bought a piece in Reno from this Eugene artist. Steve then asked if the piece was entitled "'46 Studebaker". "Yes it was", they replied incredulously. The Eugene artist was no other than Steve La Riccia - one and the same who had just dropped out of the sky to join them in their annual Labor Day breakfast.
La Riccia, "self-unemployed", an artist and a "jack of all trades", lives in Elmira, taking seriously the precepts of living simply in order to live richly. His passions of art and flying offer him the freedom and time to create and epitomize the do-it yourself spirit that he embodies. When Steve touched down in Eugene's art scene, he became involved in a grassroots effort to exhibit the numerous artworks rejected from the Eugene Mayor's Art Show. 13 years later Steve has since become identified as the impresario of Eugene's annual Salon des Refusés.
During the 1991 opening night of the Eugene Mayor's Art Show, a counter-exhibit / protest of refused artists attracted media attention. Owners of the not-quite-finished Station Square Building invited the refused artists to use the upstairs of their building for the display of the rejections from the Mayor's Art Show.
La Riccia transformed the raw shell into a exhibition space, complete with faux-walls and lighting.
Organizing the first Salon des Refusés was a collaborative barn raising. Artists and community members pitched in to help, bring food and easels, hang and tag the 113 refused artworks. The exhibit drew hundreds of people and received community wide accolades. Following the first Salon, La Riccia quickly gained a community notoriety that elude some artists for decades.
Now, La Riccia does the planning, fund-raising, promotion and much more for the Salon, assisted and now hosted by the New Zone Gallery and Artists Collective, a non-profit arts organization.
Steve La Riccia's chutzpah and energy are recognized as major factors in the flourishing Salon des Refusés. He says many may see him as a sympathetic dictator - "ll Duce", who will ruffle feathers in order to get things done his way. There's no denying that La Riccia has helped many artists take flight.
QuARTerly Magazine - Winter 2005
The following year, Steve flew back to the same spot in the desert and found his Labor Day breakfast dates Leo and Mary waiting for him. Somehow the conversation turned to art and Steve mentioned that he did SX-70 Polaroid manipulations. Mary said they had a friend in Reno who has a friend in Eugene who also did Polaroid manipulations. As a matter of fact they had bought a piece in Reno from this Eugene artist. Steve then asked if the piece was entitled "'46 Studebaker". "Yes it was", they replied incredulously. The Eugene artist was no other than Steve La Riccia - one and the same who had just dropped out of the sky to join them in their annual Labor Day breakfast.
La Riccia, "self-unemployed", an artist and a "jack of all trades", lives in Elmira, taking seriously the precepts of living simply in order to live richly. His passions of art and flying offer him the freedom and time to create and epitomize the do-it yourself spirit that he embodies. When Steve touched down in Eugene's art scene, he became involved in a grassroots effort to exhibit the numerous artworks rejected from the Eugene Mayor's Art Show. 13 years later Steve has since become identified as the impresario of Eugene's annual Salon des Refusés.
During the 1991 opening night of the Eugene Mayor's Art Show, a counter-exhibit / protest of refused artists attracted media attention. Owners of the not-quite-finished Station Square Building invited the refused artists to use the upstairs of their building for the display of the rejections from the Mayor's Art Show.
La Riccia transformed the raw shell into a exhibition space, complete with faux-walls and lighting.
Organizing the first Salon des Refusés was a collaborative barn raising. Artists and community members pitched in to help, bring food and easels, hang and tag the 113 refused artworks. The exhibit drew hundreds of people and received community wide accolades. Following the first Salon, La Riccia quickly gained a community notoriety that elude some artists for decades.
Now, La Riccia does the planning, fund-raising, promotion and much more for the Salon, assisted and now hosted by the New Zone Gallery and Artists Collective, a non-profit arts organization.
Steve La Riccia's chutzpah and energy are recognized as major factors in the flourishing Salon des Refusés. He says many may see him as a sympathetic dictator - "ll Duce", who will ruffle feathers in order to get things done his way. There's no denying that La Riccia has helped many artists take flight.
QuARTerly Magazine - Winter 2005
