Ken Ralidis

BB030701-web
Excarceration 2
24″x16″; pre-printed postage labels, product scan symbols and paint; c. 2005
This work is a statement on commercialization and impersonalization.

Ken Ralidis
Los Angeles, California, USA

STATEMENT

I approach my work by first identifying a sociological, political or cultural statement. Some of the work addresses worn stereotypes, gender stereotypes and mistreatment, political issues, societal disadvantages, societal absurdities and cultural biases and responses. Often, I use pastels and paint with collage techniques, or found-object attachments. Texture is sought to be portrayed two dimensionally. Themes also involve commercialization and some poking fun at it, and also poking fun at the way we see ourselves, all too often through narrow lenses. Most often, I try to have fun with serious themes, and often try to conceal the obvious via representations that are tangentially related to the underlying subject matter. Overall, the goal is to either have the works understood in the deeper context, or even merely as interesting or vivid artistic renderings.

BIO

Art is my passion although law is my profession. I have been making collages, paintings and mixed-media art for over 25 years, and this art is an expression of societal and cultural expression. While I have not been published much (although I have been published in Kolaj), I have hundreds of pieces which I have put together over the years and plan to place on a website soon. Most of these pieces make a sociological or political statement, many with serious whimsy. I have sold my art mostly to other artists, because my profession keeps me too busy to otherwise promote the work. I have economics and political science degrees from UCLA, a law degree from University of the Pacific (where my constitutional law professor was SCOTUS Justice Anthony Kennedy) and an international diploma from the University of Salzburg. In practicing law in Barcelona for almost 2 years, I was greatly influenced by Miró, Gaudí, Dali and Picasso in my art.

ARTIST CONTACT

[click to email]
Click HERE to access Ken’s Facebook album

IMAGES

ken-ralidis-casual-drinking
Casual Drinking
c. 2007
A whimsical collage about the “good life”.

Dancing-web
Dancing
newspaper, maps, dancers; c. 2008
A statement on culture continuing despite a troubled geopolitical world.

ken-ralidis-flushing-heads
Flushing Heads
18″x12″; pastel and collage; 2005
A statement on mankind and his interaction with the animal kingdom, and taking on its characteristics.

ken-ralidis-halliburtonia
Halliburtonia
24″x18″; pre-paid postage labels, pastel, paint and other collage; 2009
A statement on the Iraq invasion, this work was made in the last year of the Bush presidency.