Whimsical, gestural, colorful: three words to describe the art of painter Kyle Ragsdale. In his latest show, Magic Mountain, there is an air of melancholy that borders on wistfulness, of waiting. Because he creates a new body of work to be displayed each November, Ragsdale must have a new concept for each show. Magic Mountain is a collection of ethereal depictions of assemblies standing atop mountains, people from different backgrounds brought together to behold the beauty of the peaks.
To Ragsdale, mountains are "mystical, holy, and spiritual." The concept of these groups of people standing together on top of a mountain points to a remembering of "all the people who came before us, and how this can be evidenced in the mountains. A mystical thing." This show is hopeful, but also sad and nostalgic.
Earlier this year, Ragsdale had the opportunity to participate in a 2-week residency at Lake Chautauqua in New York. During that time, he spent his days working in small studios and created a series of prints in a print shop that directly influenced the work in Magic Mountain. Some of these prints are also on view in this show, and it is clear how the compositions and color palettes informed the paintings Ragsdale created afterward. Another influence on this show was the collaborative show from earlier this year that Ragsdale created with fellow artist Johnny McKee, titled Third Person—many of the themes Ragsdale began during that residency and in Third Person have continued into Magic Mountain.
For each of the paintings in Ragsdale's show, he began each one abstractly, painting with a brush. Then he goes back in with a trowel and applies layers of paint with a palette knife to create the recognizable style of people and animals throughout his paintings. While this show is more melancholy than Ragsdale's past work, it is still full of beautiful colors and engaging characters that draw viewers into their story.
While there are a multitude of mountains in this show, there are also several boat paintings, as well as chickens, flamingos, and other animals. A dear friend photographed the chickens and shared them with Ragsdale, who then created paintings inspired by them. While Ragsdale often works from references, he enjoyed the paintings he creates from feeling even more.
Though Ragsdale worked through more imposter syndrome while creating this show, it has become another beautiful example of his heart for those around him and his desire to create beauty in the here and now, even as we wait for what comes next. This show offers viewers an invitation to participate in this mixture of emotion, both the joy and the wistfulness, and to behold the mystery and majesty of Magic Mountain.
