Living out his calling

By Kim Walker

Ken Ryden, Anderson University professor of art and artist-in-residence, recognized his interest in art at an early age. In high school, however, his counselors encouraged him to consider another career path, suggesting he could always dabble in art on the weekends. He did have other talents. In fact, his scholarly aptitudes led to the award of a college scholarship to study engineering.

Ryden was standing in the engineering line to register for classes at the University of Wisconsin branch campus in Superior, Wis., when his mind fast-forwarded to what his life would be like as an engineer. Clearly, he knew he didn’t want to be an engineer; he wanted to be an artist. At that moment, he poignantly recognized his calling as an artist and his duty to carry out his calling.

The recognition of one’s calling and the duty to carry it out is a concept still seen in the form and content of his sculptures and heard in the echoes of his teachings today.

“Everyone has a calling, whether it’s for pastoring, art, engineering, business, etc., but it’s not enough to simply recognize you have a calling. You have to accept the calling as a responsibility and be willing to develop it at all costs, before it takes on any significant meaning,” Ryden explains.

His unwavering belief in one’s duty to carry out a given talent might be best illustrated in the symbolism of the sculptural fountain he created for downtown Anderson titled The Graces.

The Graces is a public fountain that includes three larger-than life bronze figures. The figures reflect the three sister-goddesses in classical mythology who gave beauty, charm, and joy to people and nature, however, these three figures combined serve as a unique contemporary symbol. Together, they represent the inspiration and potential of the creative arts, which Ryden views in three phases. First, is the element of recognition and acceptance of a creative calling. Next comes the process of understanding the calling and making a commitment to the development of that calling. The third process is the mature phase where focus on sharing the fruition of highly developed talents ensues.

For Ryden, an individual’s unique calling is a spiritual gift, and thus the process of creating and sculpting is a spiritual one.

“At no time am I more conscious of my own place in creation than I am when I am immersed in the creative process,” says Ryden. “I see clearly how I am just a small part of creation; I realize the magnitude of connecting everything to a greater macrocosm — to God. God is in all of creation; his omnipresence fills me with awe. While creating, I put myself in a humble state of sensitivity to that which is in existence; that which is already true.”

The search for truth, of which Ryden sees as a continuous evolution, is another element documented in his art. His Harbinger sculptures, for instance, are created to symbolize the past, present, and future circular motion of truth. One Harbinger piece titled The Fleeting Moment of Truth depicts a winged female figure in stride. The viewer sees her position in the present, but is left to wonder where she came from and where she is going. She is analogous to Ryden’s view that truth, like the winged sculpture, has a current presence but isn’t completely revealed without knowing its past and seeing its future.

“Truth can’t be held in your hand; it is a living part of creation that is difficult to discern in its wholeness because of the complexity of creation. The search for truth is not a straight-line progression. The more you search, the more questions you have.”

As is clearly evidenced when Ryden discusses his artwork, the precursor to his end-product involves much soul-searching of himself and his subject matter. Ryden views art as encompassing both form and content, and therefore, he looks beyond the surface of form into its inner dynamics. When he is creating portraiture, he strives to project the subject’s inner person, spirit, and personality. His creations are never “shot from the hip,” but often result from extensive research.

“I believe I have a responsibility to share what I learn from the creative process in order to assist and encourage students committed to their own creative development. That’s part of my calling; it’s what’s demanded of me as an artist.”