& Behold

For the month of November, the Harrison Gallery and Gallery Annex is exhibiting Kyle Ragsdale's newest body of work, & Behold. This exhibition showcases over 100 works of art featuring whimsical figures in various landscapes that feel as if they are putting on a theatrical production. 

The most exciting part of making & Behold for Ragsdale was the energy he felt while exploring new painting methods. Ragsdale's process included painting impasto, then wrecking the works by scraping them and bringing them back using a pallet knife. This way of working made every painting a discovery.

The figures and landscapes in this body of work are inspired by Ragsdale's many fascinations and recent travels. There is a mix of time periods, cultures, and places that show up in the paintings and blend to create energetic worlds that stem from Ragsdale's vivid imagination. The range of figures includes women dressed in Victorian and Gilded Age dresses, various animals, cowgirls, and men on stilts. Ragsdale places these figures in scenarios that take place in the clouds or even the woods and desert landscapes, inspired by his recent residency in Vermont and his home state of New Mexico.

For Ragsdale, the process of painting and realizing the figures' symbolic meanings was a spiritual experience. "The meaning came to me after making them," Says Ragsdale. "There's this theme of spiritual forces that watch out and take care of you and are waiting to help you. They aren't angels–Angels are more grand, and these figures are more home-spun." The figures are full of mystery to Ragsdale: "I don't quite know what they are. Maybe they're just watching out for you. I think they do things angels do– It's something about caring for the vulnerable."

& Behold is full of wonder and mystery. You can view it through November in the Harrison Gallery and Gallery Annex. The works can also be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through December.