RAY BELDNER

Artist Statement
My collage work is made from fragments of historic and contemporary artworks which I mine from books,
auction catalogs, and art magazines. The recent works on paper are inspired primarily by the sculptural
forms of Henry Moore and Jean Arp. Aesthetically, I am drawn to their shapes and textures, which I
deconstruct to create complex and visually contradictory compositions. Through the process of
decomposing their work, I use the two-dimensional forms to create, occupy, and define their own space.
As opposed to my past conceptual projects, I discover this work as I make it, in a responsive and intuitive
conversation with the materials.
Over time the collage work has developed from simple layered fragments of paper to large-scale
assemblages and free-standing sculptures. The rocky forms of the bright local landscape began to appear
in the organic shapes and textures in the work. The pandemic had an enormous effect on my art as well;
after years of isolation, the work took a turn toward even brighter colors and patterns as I revel in the
complexities and contradictions of visual pleasure.

Biography
Ray Beldner’s artwork has been exhibited internationally and can be found in many private and public
collections including the National Portrait Gallery and the Federal Reserve Board, Washington D.C., the
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Oakland Museum of California, 21c Museum, and the Scottsdale
Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.
He was commissioned for public art projects for the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Richmond,
California. In addition, he has completed many private and corporate commissions for the President Hotel,
NY, Candler Hotel, Atlanta, the Royal Sonestra Chicago, Saks Fifth Ave, Bain Capital, and Ryan Associates,
San Francisco.
Beldner received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from Mills College in Oakland.
He has received numerous awards and fellowships and taught sculpture and interdisciplinary studies at
several Bay Area art colleges and universities. His work has been reviewed in publications including Art in
America, Art on Paper, Wired, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the Village Voice, the International
Herald Tribune and the New York Times.