New Year, New Exhibition at the Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre.
The Ken Kempley Exhibition will be on from Friday 6th January until Thursday 2nd February & we can’t wait. Open weekdays between 10am & 4pm and the third Saturday of the month. Out of hours visits can be arranged in advance by contacting us at chris@harwichfestival.com or on 01255 507131.
KEN KEMPLEY ARTIST
BORN IN THE PEAK DISTRICT AND LIVING CLOSE TO THE SEA IN EAST ANGLIA KEN ALWAYS HAD A FACINATION WITH NATURE AND THE BARREN BEAUTY FOUND IN REMOTE LOCATIONS SUCH AS MOUNTAIN, MOOR AND WETLANDS AND IT IS SUBJECTS LIKE THIS THAT FORMS THE BASIS OF HIS STYLE OF WORK.
THE DESIRE TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE LIGHT AND DRAMA IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE PAINTINGS AND TO BE ABLE TO PUSH A LANDSCAPE OR SEASCAPE TO THE EDGE OF ABSTRACTION WHILST RETAINING IT’S ORIGINS PROVIDES BOTH INSPIRATION AND EMOTION.
WITH A LESS IS MORE APPROACH KEN STRIPS AWAY OBVIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL ELIMENTS SUCH AS BUILDINGS, PEOPLE AND ANIMALS ALLOWING HIM THE FREEDOM TO CREATE SPACES THAT THE VIEWER MAY FIND A SENSE OF FAMILIARITY, AWARENESS AND CONNECTION AND PERHAPS EXPERIENCE THAT SOUND OF SILENCE AND ATMOSPHERE FOUND IN SUCH REMOTE LOCATIONS.
HE WORKED MAINLY IN ACRYLIC AND GESSO ON CANVAS AND CANVAS BOARD AND AT TIMES USE COLLAGE AS THE USE OF TEXTURE PLAYS AN INTRIGAL PART IN WORK AS DOES A LIMITED PALLET. TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED TEXTURES KEN USED A RANGE OF EQUIPMENT TO INCLUDE PALLET KNIVES, HANDS, FINGERS, RAG AND A VARIETY OF BRUSHES IN FACT ANYTHING THAT ENABLED HIM TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED PAINTERLY MARK.
KEN’S PAINTINGS HAVE BEEN EXHIBITED IN MANY PRESTIGIOUS GALLERIES THROUGHOUT LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST IN ADDITION TO HAVING PAINTINGS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS IN THE U.S.A. SOUTH AFRICA, HOLLAND ISREAL AND THROUGHOUT THE U.K.