Doug Rickard attracted some some attention years ago with his acclaimed book A New American Picture. Rickards latest project, NA raises an even more mysterious and gloomy look on his home country. Three years Rickard crawled YouTube videos that were shot by Americans with their phones and posted online. Rickard was to witness stunning scenes, from seemingly criminal acts to simply grotesque acts.
This book, which was developed in close collaboration with the artist, is Rickards personal ode to America. "The title," says Rickard, "was from the beginning NA , short for National Anthem. '" In his paintings, Rickard provides a fresh look at the dark side of American society and covers many topics such as issues of race, politics or the increasing dangers of digital surveillance.
