text: Ken Ragsdale - Lake George Arts
  « Daytrip to Olana and Hudson!
  Memory As Process Revisited
  A solo exhibition of work by Ken Ragsdale
  Nov 2 to Dec 6, 2019
  Opening Reception: Sat, Nov 2, 4-6 pm.
  Tues – Fri 12 – 5 pm
  Sat 12 – 4 pm.
  Ken Ragsdale's work is constructed from his childhood memories, particularly of camping in the Pacific Northwest, and his current reflections on the growth of America as a nation. His work creates an atmosphere of tension and anticipation generated by open space and large scale, and by ambiguous forms in incongruous spaces. In this, even the most mundane events of his past are reformed into epic visual stories.
  Ragsdale says: "I try to illustrate in my work, on as many levels as I can, the callous, ironic, and indifferent manipulations related to the national belief in manifest destiny. At the same time, I want to expose and illuminate the beauty and welcoming comfort of the landscape that remains and my relationship to it."
  Ken Ragsdale's photographic works are likewise literal constructions. He begins by making rough sketches of places and things from his past that tie to contemporary themes. These sketches become working drawings, and from these, complex schematics, which are cut out, folded, and tabbed into colorless three-dimensional forms. He then moves to the camera, using the lens to create the final image, and arranging his studio lighting to create color and atmosphere.