1. Some vibrant nudes hanging in the gallery
KEN DONE: MENTOR BLOG
I’ve always admired Ken Done, for both his
sensationally vibrant work and his KEN DO attitude. There isn’t an artist alive
that doesn’t want to achieve what Ken has, and that’s to be able to make a good
living from their art, and to have an enduring career.
As well as being completely blown away by
Ken’s stunning gallery, shop, stockroom, and design studio I was delighted to
find out that we studied art at the same place -NAS (or East Sydney Tech back
in the day) and held our very first solo shows in the same space the previously
named ‘Holdsworth Gallery’.
Getting the opportunity to see Ken’s
paintings close up, especially the enormous coral reef works was simply
breathtaking. Ken in person was much like his paintings- direct, colourful, and
enthusiastic. It was easy to see why he’s the man that has influenced a whole
generation of younger artists.
Introducing the irrepressible Mr Ken Done!
2. Ken joking round with the crew.
Ken, can you tell us how did you begin
your creative journey?
“Like all children I
drew before I could talk…and I
guess I continued to use art as a form of communication… I went to Mosman High,
and spent lots of extra time studying art books in the library but I had to
give up sport to do this, which was annoying because I loved it!”
“I was then able to pass my intermediate exams”
which enabled Ken to became the youngest kid ever to go to East Sydney Tech,
now National Art School.
3. Ken's stunning painting Beach and Yellow Frescias shot in KD gallery.
After art school you
went into the advertising world. Do you feel that helped you turn your passion
for art into a career?
“Some people would
see advertising as a sell out! No it’s a sell in, it’s the understanding of the
times that we live in. Sure, now I spend all my time
like a cave man making a mark on things, but originally myself and many of my contemporaries
came from the advertising world -Fred Schepisi, Bruce Beresford, Peter Carey, Sidney
Nolan, and Brett Whitely. That was the thing that gave
us all the discipline of work and the opportunity to do it!”
3. Ken and Judy show us their new designs for tee-shirts.
How did you make art a full time gig?
““When I first started off as an artist I
was 35 and the creative director at J. Walter Thompson, but I didn’t want to be
in the advertising business anymore I wanted to be a painter...
…I had a mortgage, and I
had one child, but I gave up everything to see whether I could make a living
and support the family by my own hand. So I made a
drawing of a shell and a wicker basket full of cowries. Nice drawings, easy to
understand. I made prints of them and I went around to various print shops and
said “My name’s Ken Done I can sell you this print for $10 I bet you could sell
it for $20”. I was repeating the singular effort…
…I was 40 when I had my first solo show at
the Holdsworth Gallery. I wanted to have a big exhibition in a commercial
gallery to show that I could do it, but I already had it in the back of mind
that I’d really like to open my own gallery.””
4. Ken and Judy Done in front of one of Ken's big Coral reef paintings.
So, what’s the best thing about having your own gallery?
“I’ve had my own gallery since 1982 and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re able to show what
you want and when you want, but it’s got in the way a little bit of people
taking my work seriously. “
Could you elaborate a
bit on people not taking your work seriously?
““Some of the first things that people saw
of mine were very commercial- The Harbour Bridge and stuff that I would do for
the tourists.
At the same time that I was doing versions
of American abstraction I’d be knocking off a cute koala with the other hand. And
it would be on a tee shirt in one of our shops…
…I remember one critic writing; “Ken’s work is very commercial”…
It’s in a shop; surely you don’t need the
benefit of university education to understand that’s what I was trying to do. I
was trying to sell something, and we did it very well…
5. Ken Done's beautiful light filled gallery at the rocks.
Is it harder when you
have your own gallery to be the one who has to say “You’re Great” rather than a
third party like a dealer?
“I don’t like to say I’m great because I think art teaches you more about failure than it does about
success. But at 74 you’re better than you were at 44. I’ve been doing it
a long time and I’m harsh and I’m harder”.
6. Ken shows us one of his fav paintings that was turned into a great tee.
What are Ken Done’s
tips for making a living as an artist that you don’t get taught at art school?
“When you come out of
art school nobody’s going to pay $30,000 for your first painting. You have to
wait until you’re almost dropping off the twig before people will pay that!
Unless you’re looking for a government
grant (which I never have) or have very wealthy parents then you have to find a
way to exist…
…You have to find a way of making the work
accessible, in both it’s content and it’s price, with the aim of reaching as
wide a group of people as possible.
I don’t think you should see it as a cop
out to make slightly more accessible work…because you want people to buy it!”
7. Ken telling me about the medium that he uses, which is BTW water based oils.
Finally, Ken what are you working on now?
“Good Question!
The main thing that’s taking most of my time is my autobiography, so I’m writing a lot more.
(Also) I’m producing a very large nude of Cleopatra for the Bell Shakespeare Company.
Just before you came in, I looked at some very loose and simple nude figures, so I think that might become the next series of pictures. I’m planning a trip to Patagonia and the Antarctic with the profits of the exhibition going to help Breast cancer… I’ve always got a lot on! But I like to be busy”.
It’s several days after the interview and Ken’s wise words are still ringing in my ears. The interview was a major turning point for me for many reasons-
There’s a lot of noise surrounding you as an artist.
People tell you not to become a sellout. But the truth is most of those people are either broke or too wealthy to care about the realities of making an artistic pursuit work.
In any case I sure as hell don’t want to be renting for the rest of my life!
8. Gorgeous fabric ready to made up into Tees shirts for the shop!
At the end of the interview Ken encouraged me to get my work out there in as many mediums as possible.
He also came up with a brilliant strategy for my bird paintings (watch this space).
In terms of mentoring what you really need to do is to speak with an artist that’s been in the game 30 years longer than you have and it helps if they happen to be an Aussie legend!
9. That famous signature!
Thanks to www.kendone.com.au @kendonegallery
Photography by www.thelightcatcher.com.au @kellieleczinska
Blog by www.miaoatley.com.au @miaoatley
