Is Mark Ryden one of the best contemporary artists or just a controversial fraud, who plays with themes and techniques, wanting to provoke, annoy and shock ? Has he really such an outstanding unique inner world, or is he just creating something on the exact opposite of what the general public calls normal or beautiful ? Is Mark Ryden simply challenging every prejudice and rule, only to laugh at the revolt of the critics ? But isn't this what a real artist should do ?
Born in 1963 in Oregon, Mark Ryden is a painter, draftsman, CD covers painter, graphic artists. He studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and simply stunned with his very first solo exhibition, which was entitled "The Meat Show". And which was at the same time funny, disturbing, macabre, shocking and weird, key characteristics of his style, that he would keep for the rest of his career. His following exhibitions would not tone down his attitude and style ; on the contrary, in shows such as The Tree Show, Blood or Bunnies and Bees he pushed the boundaries even further. And gained both the support and fascination of many, but also the despise and revolt of others.
For Mark Ryden is by no means an easy talent or artist. He has built an unique, imaginary world, in which ideas and characters from comics, Alice in Wonderland, Gothic stories, cartoons and creepy lines get together. His "heroes" are mostly little girls and boys, often in macabre surrounding, imaginary/phantastic creatures, respected men and women and often toys, all in darkly lit colours. Everything has something of a troubling caricature character, at the same time strikingly beautiful, as in an age of non-figurative art Mark Ryden takes greate care into drawings. And he draws amazing, something out of a cartoon storybook for children, only to twist the ideas and characters to a dark way, which is seductive, dangerous, weird and hard to forget.
But Mark Ryden is better known by many for the album covers he designed over the years, the best known being, of course, Dangerous, the famous album of Michael Jackson. He also made the covers for albums and singles by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ringo Starr, 4 Non Blondes and other artists, and in no small degree we can say he had a saying in their success.
His exhibitions have lately been few, but highly successful ones, as besides oil paintings Ryden had begun experimenting into the field of sculpture, using the same themes and manner as before. At the same time his works are beginning to atract more and more collectors, after some of the most expensive ones have been bought by museums and galleries.
Marky Ryden is one of the very best and original contemporary artists, a great name who will without a doubt become even greater. It is a little unsetling at first, until you get accustomed to his style and manner, but then it fascinates and enraptures you. An artist who should be discovered by all.
Photo : artnet.com ; beinart.org
September 2008
