Aggressive, Animalistic Appearance: Art by Kenn Raaf
Liquid 2, acrylic and metallic mixed media on canvas
Working in sculpture, paint and mixed media, Kenn Raaf creates abstract works that utilize heavy layers of paint and found materials. The artist’s dark, earthy tones and wide brush marks give his paintings an aggressive, animalistic appearance.
Danseur 2, intaglio print on Rives BFK paper
I like looking through Kenn’s portfolio and seeing some of his recent forays into printmaking. The works he has on display are made using an intaglio process, and they depict slightly abstracted human forms in the midst of a dance. Stark, white contoured lines on pitch black backgrounds give the figures a dramatic, silhouetted appearance, adding to the performative nature of the subject.
Kenn’s sculptures offer a similar sense of movement, where a fragmented, but apparently human form twists wildly. The twisting form of the sculpture ensures a different appearance from every angle, making these sculptures quite dramatic and interesting to look at. The dynamic sculptural forms remind me of the work of Larry Scaturro.
