{"id":2107,"date":"2013-08-06T11:19:28","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T01:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=2107"},"modified":"2013-08-06T11:19:28","modified_gmt":"2013-08-06T01:19:28","slug":"artchat-blog-interview-number-31-%e2%80%93-ken-strong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=2107","title":{"rendered":"ArtChat [Blog Interview Number 31] \u2013 Ken Strong"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb_share_1\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"><a name=\"fb_share\" type=\"icon_link\" share_url=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=2107\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php\">Share<\/a><\/div><div><script src=\"http:\/\/static.ak.fbcdn.net\/connect.php\/js\/FB.Share\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/div><p>This month at the gallery Australian\u00a0artist <a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/KenStrong2013.html\">Ken Strong <\/a>will be exhibiting alongside ceramic artist <a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/BillPowell2013.html\">Bill Powell<\/a> in the exhibition entitled <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/KenStrong2013.html\">Accentuato<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Ken&#8217;s work is characterised by\u00a0a bold\u00a0application of paint.\u00a0The paintings tend to have a non-representational feel with the key compositional elements usually steming from a\u00a0well structured us of colour or movement.\u00a0Here artchat\u00a0catches up with Ken to find out\u00a0a little more about the man behind the paintings.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=2176\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2176\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2176\" title=\"Ken Strong\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Ken.jpg\" alt=\"Ken Strong\" width=\"800\" height=\"438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Ken.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Ken-300x164.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a> <strong>\u00a0AC: Describe your art in one sentence<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: I love the landscape and all it encompasses, and if I can embrace the elements of colour, movement and drama with a story to be told, I am satisfied.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: How did your career as an artist come about? Was there a specific moment in time where you went \u2018Yup, I\u2019m now an artist\u2019 or was it more of an evolving identity?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: Ever since I was young, I had a passion for artwork. Originally I used to try to emulate others approaches techniques and learn how it was all done. One day (I\u2019m not sure when) I realised I liked the work I was doing and also realised that I had developed my own identifiable approach. I think this was the moment.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: What draws you to depict your subject matter?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: I am attracted to any subject that is interesting. Sometimes it could be effect I see in a landscape which I endeavour to represent, other times it may be an interesting feature I can incorporate into a composition. Either way, it is something that jumps out and says \u201cpaint me\u201d<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: How did you develop your aesthetic style and were you influenced by anyone in particular<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: My biggest influences early were the impressionists, both Australian and European. Later I discovered the works of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/J._M._W._Turner\">Joseph Turner<\/a> and Brett <a href=\"http:\/\/www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au\/brett-whiteley-studio\/\">Whiteley<\/a>. I love the power and movement used by the Turner and Whiteley in creating their compositions. Nothing is static, your eyes are always looking for new directions around their compositions. I have adopted this concept of incorporating movement combined with strong colour and contrast to define my style.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: Can you talk us through the process involved when you start a painting?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: A few basics &#8211; I need an idea. Sometimes this comes easily, sometimes I will get flooded with possibilities &#8211; other times I struggle.<br \/>\nI will always produce several sketches trying to develop my idea into broad shapes keeping in mind the overall balance of the composition.<br \/>\nWhen I am happy with this, I will try to formulate the basics of my colour balance &#8211; all this in the planning phase &#8211; no brush as yet touched.<br \/>\nI cannot fully resolve all details, much of this will develop when the painting emerges.<br \/>\nI transfer my plan to the canvas in pencil or charcoal, establish my dark colours and main pigment contrasts and off I go.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: We heard you collect pianos? Is this true and if so how did it start?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: Jocelyn my wife is a musician and we have always had a piano. 25 years ago we purchased two grand pianos from an auction at the <a href=\"http:\/\/music.sydney.edu.au\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sydney conservatorium<\/a> of music to support her study and music teaching business. It was probably at this stage I became fascinated with not only the sound of pianos, but the mechanism. At one stage we had three <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pianoworld.com.au\/grand-pianos\/\" target=\"_blank\">grands<\/a>, two <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pianoworld.com.au\/upright-pianos\/\" target=\"_blank\">upright pianos<\/a>, a 120 year old operating <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pianola.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">pianola<\/a> and an electric piano. Fortunately after a threat of divorce, I managed to unload the two upright pianos (even though this was difficult for me as they were nice pianos!) We still have the grands, the pianola and the keyboard &#8211; hence moving house is not an enviable task.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: Now getting a little off topic, what is your most memorable food moment?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: I have a problem with food in that I generally like most of it. (Not crazy about lamingtons but that is about all) I would have to say anything Jocelyn produces is wonderful &#8211; she not only is a pastel artist and a musician, but she is also a wonderful cook. If I was to pick another moment outside of home, I would say many of the experiences at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\">NSW Art Gallery <\/a>restaurant have been very memorable overlooking the wharves at Woolloomoloo.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: Imagine you are on a balcony socialising with friends and it\u2019s a lovely summer\u2019s afternoon, what would be the beverage in front of you<\/strong>?<br \/>\nKS: Probably red wine (preferably a Shiraz blend) but I\u2019m not all that fussy &#8211; I am also a bit partial to chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, verdelho, riesling, rose, champagne or any combinations of the above, or others I may have missed. On a nice hot day, a cool beer is inviting or depending on the previous nights adventures, even at a pinch, a glass of cold water.<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: Favourite (or possibly worst) child hood memory?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: At the age of 12, I was fishing in a small boat in Brisbane waters at dusk, when I was sunk by a trawler who ploughed into the side of my boat. I heard it coming but could not release my anchor ropes quickly enough. Fortunately I was able to swim to shore, and the boat was retrieved. I then receiving a blast from the Maritime services board for anchoring in the middle on the channel. I would note that no reference was made to the trawler skipper who was not watching where he was going!<br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: Favourite music to paint to?<\/strong><br \/>\nKS: I like a lot of music, probably the most inspirational for painting would have to be anything to do with<a href=\"http:\/\/www.lvbeethoven.com\/Bio\/BiographyLudwig.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Beethoven<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oA0kXDMKiLg\" target=\"_blank\">Rachmaninov.<\/a><br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: If you could invite four people to dinner, dead or alive, who would they be?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/arthistory.about.com\/cs\/namestt\/p\/turner_jmw.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Joseph Turner<\/a> \u2013 To find out what I am doing wrong<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au\/brett-whiteley-studio\/\" target=\"_blank\">Brett Whiteley<\/a> \u2013 To get a few tips on how to live the good side of life<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/jesus-christ-9354382\" target=\"_blank\">Jesus Christ <\/a>\u2013 To clarify a few issues<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.islamicity.com\/mosque\/muhammad_bible.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Muhammed<\/a> &#8211; To get a second opinion<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\" target=\"_blank\">www.redhillgallery.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"al2fb_like_button\"><div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=499790883388518\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, \"script\", \"facebook-jssdk\"));\n<\/script>\n<fb:like href=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=2107\" send=\"true\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" share=\"false\" width=\"150\" action=\"recommend\" font=\"arial\" colorscheme=\"light\" ref=\"AL2FB\"><\/fb:like><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ShareThis month at the gallery Australian\u00a0artist Ken Strong will be exhibiting alongside ceramic artist Bill Powell in the exhibition entitled Accentuato Ken&#8217;s work is characterised by\u00a0a bold\u00a0application of paint.\u00a0The paintings tend to have a non-representational feel with the key compositional &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=2107\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,19,8,43,20,18,13,36,6],"tags":[69,61,306,293,296,66,307,67,294,10],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2107"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2107"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2189,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2107\/revisions\/2189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}