Richard Keen III
Surry, ME
Website
richardkeenstudio.com
Social Media
Instagram
Facebook
Bsky
How would you describe your work?
My work explores the complex inter play between landscape, memory, and man-made form, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of series that collectively delve into mapping, pattern, and color. My Abstract Topography series embodies the idea of mapping—both physical landscapes and the emotional or intellectual terrains we navigate—using layered textures, lines, and contours that evoke cartographic traces of imagined worlds. These intricate patterns create a dynamic tension between the grounded and the ethereal.
Building on this, my Form Singularity series emphasizes distilled, individual elements that embody a focus on simplicity. Each shape and line is deliberate and engages in subtle dialogues with other forms, bridging individuality and interconnectedness. This focus on“singularity”, or reduction, highlights the importance of clarity and the essence of objects within a broader interconnected idea of landscape.
My Sea Geometry series introduces a more fluid and rhythmic exploration, capturing the organic chaos and structured harmony of the ocean. Geometric motifs—triangles, circles, and undulating waves—reflect the natural balance between precision and organic movement, reminiscent of tides and currents. The marine tones and flowing compositions serve as a meditation on balance, rhythm, and the timeless dance between order and chaos.
My work also branches into sculpture, translating these visual and conceptual explorations into three-dimensional forms–generally on the wall. This expansion allows me to further investigate the spatial relationships and tactile qualities of my ideas, engaging viewers not only visually but physically. Whether through painting or sculpture, my work seeks to map unseen terrains—spatial, emotional, and natural—creating immersive encounters that invite reflection on interconnectedness, movement, and the essence of form.
What inspires you?
My experiences exploring Maine, both on land and underwater as a commercial diver, have deeply shaped my artistic perspective. Immersed in Maine’s ruggedlandscapes and coastal waters, I have developed an appreciation for the delicate balance between nature’s organic forms and human-made structures. Working beneath the surface, I observed the intricate shifts in color formed by light, boats and submerged structures, as well as the play of shadows and light that reveal the hidden beauty of these environments. Experiences hiking through Maine’s forests draw me toward capturing striking lines, layered patterns, and the interplay of shadows thatevoke the complexity and resilience of Maine’s landscape. My work seeks to explore the tension and coexistence between the natural environment and human intervention, emphasizing the irinterconnectedness and balance. Through my art, I create a dialogue highlighting both the fragility and strength inherent in the relationship between nature and manmade forms.
Can you speak about your process?
My process is physical and exploratory: I alternate crisp, taped edges with gestural mark-making, applying paint through brushing, scraping, wiping, spraying, and even using found tools like rubber scrapers or old credit cards. Expanding into sculpture and printmaking, I continually probe how form and material shape perception. By collapsing the boundaries between natural and man-made, surface and depth, I invite viewers to navigate an abstracted landscape that honors memory, place, and the dynamic interplay of structure and experience.
How did you become interested in art?
I fell in love with making art at a really young age. As a boy I would get really lost in the process of drawing or painting - even sculpture. I really loved cartoons too. Art was how I made sense of the world. These early works usually became gifts for my parents, but by the time I was a junior in high school, which amazingly had four art teachers, I was spending most of my time in the art department and I knew that somehow, art was my future.
My parents were and are super supportive, loving, and also practical minded people who didn’t necessarily see art as a way to a stable future; this has evolved over the years as I have “stayed the course” on the path to being an artist. It took me a while, and a few explorations in setting, to figure out my path. I tried a compromise career working in graphic design, but it wasn’t where my heart was so I moved along and earned my BFA, and then later my Master of Arts which allowed me the space and structure to really explore my artistic language, while also demanding I gain mastery of technique and materials.
After graduate school, I taught visual art in the public schools, which then led to my commercial diving job. I continued working a day job and maintaining a studio practice simultaneously up until the Fall of 2024, when my wife and I agreed that it was time to only focus on art.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
There are so many amazing working contemporary artists that inspire me, far too many to list, but some of my all-time “Greats”are Elizabeth Murray, Lynne Drexler, Joan Mitchell, Susan Rothenberg, Richard Diebenkorn, Neil Williver and Marsden Hartly. The contemporary list includes Albert Oehlen, Cecily Brown, and Chris Ofili just to name a few. I love going to see art in person in galleries and museums.
The books I read generally are fiction and mystery related. I’ve been on a John Sanford and Louise Penny kick lately. Music is also a big part of my life, both listening to it in the studio and playing when I make time. I’ve been reading about Bowie, and listening“Brothers” by Alex Van Halen and “Red” by Sammy Hagar to recapture the days of big arena rock n roll (that Sammy Hagar is one amazing dude!). Movies are another area where I like to escape reality and generally likeSci-Fi, Super Hero, and Action (Shared these with my mom when she was alive) although I believe that Park Productions and Sam Bisbee are doing some of the most thought provoking films today. I also love those Cohen Brothers, “Lebowski Rules!”.
Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you wouldlike to share?
I see the act of making art as a belief system. I try to constantly leap-taking risks with the fear of failure. I don’t use the computer to help me solve visual challenges – it’s all physical. I try to experiment as much as possible - even if those experiments are not obvious to the viewer. From the type of tools, brushes, mediums, canvas, paper, sculptural materials etc., I try not to over-rely on just one avenue or technique (boring!)–if something begins to feel too safe or predictable, I have to mix it up. I like to move around a lot in the studio and in life. I have multiple projects, paintings and sculptures in play at once..... plenty to keep me busy for sure.
