2008 Woodie Awards
Spotlight on...Ken Ragsdale
Artist in residence talks with Art Major
Caitlyn Ottinger
Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: Arts
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Artist in Residence Ken Ragsdale comes to Middlebury from Albany, N.Y., where he lives and works. In 2005, he received his M.F.A. at University at Albany, State University of New York. A painter, sculptor and photographer, Ragsdale is ever-building a body of work based primarily on the exploration of the function and process of memory. Living in 14 different locations since birth, he was greatly affected by the ideas of impermanence and ephemerality, especially in relation to the accumulation of memories. Through his paintings, photographs and sculptural paper models, he explores both the physical space of places he remembers from his childhood as well as the figurative space of his memory. Studio art major Caitlyn Ottinger '06 talks to Ragsdale about his past, present and overarching inspirations.
The Middlebury Campus: Will you give me your history? Where were you born?
Ken Ragsdale: I was born in Walla Walla, Washington, 1962.
MC: Did you grow up in an art family?
KR: No, not really. Actually, that's not true. A lot of my family, tracing back on both sides, were musicians - a lot of country musicians. My grandfather used to tour and my dad is still a musician (he still performs), but my mom was the one who encouraged me, she was the one who said it was okay [to make art into a career].
MC: Did you always know this is what you were, that you wanted to be an artist?
KR: Yes. Yes. I think I took my first art class when I was eight. It was one of those summer classes that they had at the college and we would all go, and go out and draw things. I remember I had grown up around so much music and country musicians would come into our house and there'd be jam fests and my teacher in the summer class would listen to Cat Stevens and I loved it. I think that's how I first found my own music.
MC: What was the worst job you ever had?
KR: I had a lot of jobs. Each one of them made me more sure this [art] is what I wanted to do. Each one was another nail in the coffin for a real life. The worst only lasted for about two days. I had moved down to Santa Barbara and was working the sales floor for a high-end men's clothing shop. I just rearranged racks and occasionally someone would come in and I would tell them "we didn't have that" and they would leave. I asked the manager if I could sweep the floor or clean the windows or something and he said they had people who did that already and I said thank you and that was it. That week went along with my week spent at Hardee's [a burger chain, home of the Thickburger™].
The Middlebury Campus: Will you give me your history? Where were you born?
Ken Ragsdale: I was born in Walla Walla, Washington, 1962.
MC: Did you grow up in an art family?
KR: No, not really. Actually, that's not true. A lot of my family, tracing back on both sides, were musicians - a lot of country musicians. My grandfather used to tour and my dad is still a musician (he still performs), but my mom was the one who encouraged me, she was the one who said it was okay [to make art into a career].
MC: Did you always know this is what you were, that you wanted to be an artist?
KR: Yes. Yes. I think I took my first art class when I was eight. It was one of those summer classes that they had at the college and we would all go, and go out and draw things. I remember I had grown up around so much music and country musicians would come into our house and there'd be jam fests and my teacher in the summer class would listen to Cat Stevens and I loved it. I think that's how I first found my own music.
MC: What was the worst job you ever had?
KR: I had a lot of jobs. Each one of them made me more sure this [art] is what I wanted to do. Each one was another nail in the coffin for a real life. The worst only lasted for about two days. I had moved down to Santa Barbara and was working the sales floor for a high-end men's clothing shop. I just rearranged racks and occasionally someone would come in and I would tell them "we didn't have that" and they would leave. I asked the manager if I could sweep the floor or clean the windows or something and he said they had people who did that already and I said thank you and that was it. That week went along with my week spent at Hardee's [a burger chain, home of the Thickburger™].