This was a question asked by a student within the first (and only) two weeks of Ringelstetter’s 2020 school tour. At the time it was hard to come to an answer, and the artist has been reflecting on the query ever since. Looking back, he believes that had he not gotten swept away with materialistic desires and prioritized his spending he could be years ahead in his career. It’s easy to look from the vantage point at which you stand now and find ‘better’ ways to get ‘here’, but Ringelstetter also knows that if he had done things any differently it could have taken him down an entirely foreign path and he may be nowhere near where he is now. It’s important for all of us to remember that it’s about the journey just as much as the destination and it’s those lessons and experiences that make us who we are.

Darienne Keniece

While Ringelstetter was on his 2019 art tour in Ann Arbor, two brothers approached him during the show.  They fell so deeply in love with the art that not only did they purchased multiple pieces, but they followed Ringelstetter on Instagram and stayed in touch. It wasn’t long before they pitched the idea of putting his art on their cans, an opportunity which Ringelstetter graciously accepted. Now you can find his art on the side of the ODD Brother’s Super Lemon Haze cider 

Darienne Keniece

Ringelstetter uses this term to describe his new style of artwork. “Trigger Art” is the new line, but it’s also so much more than that. With multiple layers of light reactive art stacked on top of each other, the “Trigger Art” line pulls your subconscious into a different direction and stimulates the neurons. The goal here is to use the art to trigger different parts of the brain and tap into the neuron’s memories. Just as we remember our past events, so too do neurons. 

Energy is neither created nor destroyed, all matter lives on in some way, shape, or form. So what if we could tap into these memories of our neurons? Since time is not linear, what if we could use art to project our consciousness into different timelines? The goal of “Trigger Art” is exactly that, and it will change the way that we view art (and ourselves) as we know it. 

Darienne Keniece 

The ‘Please Take Photos’ sign is an iconic staple in Ringelstetter’s booth, and it seems to be perceived differently by everyone. It’s uncommon in the art circuit for artists to allow photos of their work to be taken out of the fear of plagiarism, but Ringelstetter has a different take on that idea. 

Coming from a small town upbringing, Ringelstetter is beyond flattered to know that people want to help him share his work with the world, and he believes that with the influence of social media, allowing patrons to photograph his work only helps his career. 

Darienne Keniece

In the projects to come it is likely that we’ll being seeing a lot of 11:11’s in Ringelstetter’s work, but what is the reasoning for this? Some of you may or may not be familiar with synchronicities, but to put it simply synchronicities are little messages from the Universe. Ringelstetter has been almost haunted by the 11:11 synchronicity specifically since his Florida tour in February 2020. 11:11 has been a reaffirmation from the Universe to Nick, signifying that he is in alignment with his soul’s true purpose and to continue forward on his present path. This rings true for the rest of us as well. If you’re been witness to this synchronicity, keep going; the Universe is in full support of your endeavor.  

Darienne Keniece

 

In 2014 Ringelstetter got his first magazine publication in Issue 57 of Rosebud Magazine. He was approached by the magazine because they found his style and mission relatable and they knew that a feature on him would be a great fit for their publication. This article allows us to see into Ringelstetter’s mind during the early stages of the Forbidden Effect, as well as a look into his goals and his journey. 

Darienne Keniece

Ringelstetter has been asked many times why he’s chosen to involve himself in the school system with the presentations he’s been doing while on tour and of course, at home. A lot of his motivation comes from his own experiences growing up in the public school system where he was often made to believe that he was unintelligent because he didn’t fit into the box that they were presenting him with. 

Looking back at his life, Ringelstetter realized that middle school was probably the most detrimental time to receive the message that he’s been sharing throughout his tour, which is that anyone can do anything. He wants kids of all ages to know that you can follow your passions and still be successful because it isn’t as unheard of as they may think.

Ringelstetter firmly believes that the next generation will be the ones to finally turn the world on its nose, and he wants to do his part to make sure that creatives of all types feel that they have a place and a purpose, both now and in the future to come.

Darienne Keniece

Local Spring Green, Wisconsin artist Joni Graves makes custom book covers and brought up the idea of creating sketchbooks with Ringelstetter’s art on the covers. Each one is designed by Ringelstetter, and then handmade by Graves as Atomic7 Studios is about quality over quantity. The sketchbooks are one the pricey side, but Ringelstetter has said he would be more than happy to add a personal sketch to any book that crosses his path.

Darienne Keniece

If you’re familiar with Ringelstetter’s work you may have seen the tag “TANK33” in some of his pieces. In fact, it’s stamped on every piece from this line of work, which is three-dimensional in three different ways, and represents the different planes of life; the physical, mental, and spiritual/energetic. 

“Tank” is what Ringelstetter considers to be somewhat of an otherworldly alter ego. For years Tank has been showing Ringelstetter visions, and has inspired every piece of his work. Tank introduced the “Forbidden Effect” via a lucid dream, and continued to leave clues for Ringelstetter along the journey of the “Forbidden Zone’s” creation. For instance, the room it was created in had a name carved above the door, “Ms. Tank”.

Whether you consider “Tank” to be a muse or a fever dream, without this influence Ringelstetter wouldn’t be where he is today. For years Tank has been telling our artist to hustle until he reached 33 years of age, at that point his “mission” would be completed. Now at the age of 34, Ringelstetter feels he no longer has to be “Nick Ringelstetter, the Painter” but instead he can be whoever he wants to be and purse whatever he feels is right. 

Darienne Keniece