Richard Keen: Abstracted Topographies

For artist Richard Keen, the Maine landscape serves as an important influence across his entire body of work. Keen’s newest paintings in the Abstracted Topographies series clearly reference trees, landscapes, and coastal vistas around Maine, the imagery directly linked to recent hikes with his family and dogs. Created over the last six months, these paintings are a result of the artist trying to maintain physical and mental health during the pandemic. Textured skies and brightly patterned grasses stand in stark contrast to the smoothness of the trees themselves. The trees exude calmness against the frenetic, tactile energy of each background, as they are able to stand in quiet opposition. These are not static snapshots of a forest scene, but instead a rhythmic reinterpretation of natural space. The subject matter of trees brings a sense of unwavering resilience; the works are a reminder that it is a feat just to stand and remain standing in the face of chaos.

His Form Singularity paintings are more minimal: typically there is a horizon line, with patterns and colors that strike Keen’s eye on any given outdoor experience. Their reductive qualities give the artist a meditative experience during the process of making art  - which has been critical to his mental health throughout the pandemic. Keen works on these series simultaneously, and often finds that colors overlap and influence each other: and if you look closely, all of the shapes that he paints are connected.

Richard Keen’s whimsical color palette interacts playfully with the textured, natural world it represents. These trees are unique; they challenge us to build new realities up and away from the reality we have been given. We are in a difficult moment in history, and the collective trauma of living through a pandemic has challenged the mental health of us all. Keen’s work is a breath of novelty and innovation that renews our sense of place and challenges our more creative sides to craft new truths.