feature: Ted Randler

Ted Randler’s work demonstrates an obvious understanding and appreciation of the impressionist masters. Many of his pieces contain historical references, or nods to older periods, but the contemporary color palette and dramatic, often homoerotic, flirtation with surrealism express a style that is distinctly his own. His show “Of Flowers & Flesh” is currently on display at Gallery Blue Door in Baltimore, MD through June 26th. If you get a chance, go see it- like all great painters, his work comes to life most vividly in person.

[dandy:] Your work in five words or less?
[Randler:] Intimate moments of just being.

Where do you live?
I split my time between DuPont Circle in Washington DC and Ashland, Virginia- which is a railroad town, not unlike Willoughby from that episode on Twilight Zone. It is a perfect place.

Queer credentials?
I have a husband who I’ve been with for 26 years. We ended up as a family of four- with his two daughters from a previous marriage. We were radical in the sense that we had a farm in rural Virginia where we raised the kids. We were the only openly gay family in the county. So that was fun.

Turn Ons?
I am old-school in that painting is everything. I love movies, social media, books—my husband is an author so I better like reading—but in the end, painting just gives me that thrill of living. 

Turn Offs?
Artwork that makes you feel dead inside. Sadly, I used to be an art critic, so I’ve seen a lot of very very very un-viewable work. Art on social media where folks have traced nudes and try to pass them off as original figure studies or as a way to simulate porn- leaves one empty. I’d rather see a badly drawn nude where I can see the presence of the artist than a well-traced dick-pic posted just to get likes. 

Favorite art subject?
I like very complicated things—mysteries, algorithms, counter-intuitive explanations of the paranormal, horribly convoluted Youtube art demos— I just love them. So I find I’m interested in complex patterns versus randomness.  I like to challenge myself as to whether or not I can capture the texture of a flower petal, the pattern of body hair or even texture of skin, contrasted with William Morris wallpaper designs and other specific man-made patterns. 

Art Crush?
Édouard Vuillard’s work is just amazing. He used distemper paint by combining warm animal glue with powdered pigments, so the surfaces are matte with dense textured strokes. I’m always looking at the old easel guys, Bonnard, Matisse, Cezanne and Van Gogh and of course their inspiration in the Ukiyo woodblock printers of the Edo period. I admire Hockney and Warhol. I like any painter who breaks the code of standard painting techniques and creates a truly auteur sensibility—like Kerry James Marshall, Njideka Akunyili-Crosbyand Alice Neel—from their day-to-day experience.

Personal Crayon Color?
Black. Because I had a second grade teacher scold me for only coloring in black. I remember liking it because it was the darkest and most definite color. “You never be an artist,” she said, “ if you don’t put down that black.” I never did. 

Ideal place to display your work?
I’m looking for some tony, on-trend Brooklyn gallery or maybe in Provincetown. I’m working with three different regional galleries right now one in Florida, one in Virginia and one in Baltimore. I find that I’m making my way up the East coast. I really like those galleries that build relationships with artists.

Favorite non-art pastime?
I am an old gym-rat. I like anything where you can see your progress. The zen of repetitive weight lifting is such a great break from the uncertainty of painting.

First memorable art project?
Such a weird question. I remember I was drawing pumpkins for Halloween maybe in first grade and I drew a Jack-o-lantern with these whirling vortexes for eyes instead of the typical triangles. The teacher had the class come over and look at the drawing. It was earliest thrill of getting attention for rendering something.

What's next?
Well I have the solo show, “Of Flowers & Flesh” at Gallery Blue Door in Baltimore going on until June 26th. It’s a large show almost 50 drawings, mixed media and paintings.  In October, I’ll have another solo show at Eric Schindler in Richmond, Virginia. So I am busy preparing for that.

more work in the uncensored gallery

please take the time to let us know what you think in the comments below.

website :: randler.gallery
instagram :: @TedRandler
facebook :: Ted Randler Art