Ken Done is an internationally renown artist who comes from Australia. Ken Done was born in the year 1940 in the city of Sydney, Australia. He created a great commercial business for himself with his artworks adorning items from clothes to household goods. The name of this company was titled “Done Art and Design” and he and his wife Judy were the partners behind this company.
Done spent much of his childhood in Sydney and when he was only fourteen years old he left high school and enrolled at the National Art School in Sydney.
When he finished school in 1959 he joined an advertising company and spent the next decade of his life visiting various parts of the globe.
In 1969 he moved back to his native land of Australia. In 1975 Done decided to devote himself to painting full time.
In this clip featuring Ken Done we learn about a series of paintings done that depicted some small Japanese submarines that attacked Sydney’s Harbour and twenty one people died. Its nice to hear him talk about this incident and how he went about painting it because many of scenes more or less are a celebration of life on the coast of Australia. At the time he also had developed cancer and had money problems. A great interview to watch!
In this clip we hear Ken Done talk about what gave him the confidence to give up advertising and become a full time painter.
His company that he started with his wife was very successful in overseas markets. His artwork graced the cover of fashion magazine Hanako every week for a decade. The company also won a prize for being the best in the fashion industry in Australia in 1993.
As a full time painter he had his first solo exhibition in 1980.
In this clip we visit the show Done was talking about on Australian television about the Japanese midget submarines attacking the harbour. We visit the show at the gallery that commissioned him to do the project.
Produced works for the opening and closing ceremonies of 2000 Summer Olympic games.
Winner of Australian father of the year in 1989.
There is a museum dedicated Ken Done in a suburb of Sydney called the Rocks.
If you enjoy Ken Done and his paintings of harbours please take some time to check out the work of Malcolm Morley. Done paints more a flat picture plane. Morley came to fame as a photorealist, but has since loosened up his style. I so enjoy looking at Mr. Morley’s paintings of yachts and harbours. Below is a great example of Morley’s take on a harbour scene.
I enjoy the work of Ken Done as most of his work celebrates life and makes me feel uplifted when I look at it. Very simplistic yes, but very playful and colorful as well!
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