{wonderful wondertoonel}

From the Frye Art Museum Catalogue: Rarely has an artist been as articulate as Mark Ryden in sharing with his public the private insights and inspirations that help decipher his astonishing iconography. Uniting strategies from the present and past in his artistic vocabulary, Ryden employs motifs that repulse and attract. He encourages us to labor over these juxtapositions, which give rise to discoveries about art and life. In this way, his subjects remind us that paintings are not “reality,” but rather doorways to worlds within and beyond reality. Ryden is at the forefront of contemporary representational art, not only for his ability to paint, but also for his ability to comment on our human condition. We may all expect to be changed by our encounter with his work.

Visit his website and take a look for yourself: wondertoonel.com