Delicious Handmade Candy is an abstract work which features bright circular and triangular shapes in red, yellow and white. Set against a black background, the forms are highly contrasted and pop out from the picture plane. Upon first glance, the work painting appears to be a rendition of multiplied bullseye, with prominent concentric circles framed with yellow, but the title helps to shift the focus of the work and centralize a theme. Candy has been a popular subject for many artists throughout history, including FĂ©lix GonzĂĄlez-Torresâs notable Untitled (Placebo) (1991) in which he arranged individually wrapped candies that viewers could take from as a meditation on the HIV/AIDS crisis in America. Similarly to GonzĂĄlez-Torresâs socially aware and often participatory work, Ryanâs practice engages with the public and through projects such as the â12 Months of Givingâ fund and âThe Box.â
