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The work of Maria Rivans is known for its mash up of surrealism meets pop art. Her scrapbook like collages with their 1950s pop culture references have all the playful delight of an early Paolozzi, mixed with the strange surreality of a Dali, and brought up to date with a certain sophistication and quirky aesthetic, unique to Rivans. The reference series was first released at the artrepublic Art Yard Sale on Sunday 5th June 2016, in which some of the biggest names in the contemporary art world came together in Brighton’s Jubilee Square, giving fans the chance to buy from the artists directly. In ‘The Reference Series 7’, Rivans has created a utopian landscape, where a brutalist edifice dominates the horizon, flanked by brightly coloured trees and a crowd of swimmers, frolicking in the azure sea at the building’s base. Yet the bottom section of the print is strangely surreal beneath what should be the ground, people cling to tree roots against a stark, white background. Her subtle use of the diagonal composition lends the print an unsettled, vertiginous feel, which is powerfully compelling. Rivans has masterfully created an aesthetic which is both beautiful and intelligent.
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