Just over a year ago I decided Puttyfoot would introduce an artist focus series, celebrating artists in and around Swindon. I feel it is now time to back catalogue those features and celebrate these artists once more, so here we are again looking into the hidden gems of the Swindon treasure chest, ‘it’s people’. I found myself compiling a list of who I most wanted to meet, the list was bigger than the actual amount of artists covered over the year. The editorial features were at the time produced to be published within a Swindon based arts, culture and music magazine, the interviews were written by Dave Franklin, who these days is busy with his Greenman music reviews and promotions. It was not particularly easy to choose which artists we would interview, Swindon has many creative and highly skilled people within the arts.
We got under way with the project, Ken White was one of the series, it was an amazing experience and privilege to see him at work in this studio. I knew the work of Ken White before I met the man himself, his emblem of The Scarlet Lady he created for Virgin was known to me many years before I moved to Swindon to live. The day we went to Ken’s studio will always stay firm in my mind, the warmth and friendliness of the man, the generous welcome by Ken and his wife settled Darren and I and we talked animatedly with Ken about his work. The studio was well lit, so many pieces of Ken’s art adorned the room, leaving me feel quite intoxicated by the colour, emotion, atmosphere, the works have a fascinating depth of detail within the shadows, these shadows seem to have an eery life of their own, many of the pieces on display were of working men, yet there is for me an intimacy and delicate handling of the characters, each piece left me feeling like I had been here before, a comfortable de ja vou, perhaps because of my love of the history of my childhood home in the Black Country, I appreciate the art Ken creates, it is meaningful and it touches my hear and moves me. These men depicted worked hard, I have seen for myself the physical hard work by manual workers, who are often gifted craftsmen in their area of work. My own parents worked with their hands my Mother for years in many a factory and my Father as a builders labourer, yet there is a romance to this nostalgia, something I find endearing and comforting, I feel a respect, this respect resonates for me within Kens work.
Ken had worked for many years for the boss of Virgin Richard Branson as his personal artist, yet he is also well known for his mural work but of late he has gained recognition for his paintings, his experience is vast, his artistic touch is magical, where he brings to life the railways and working men, a reflection of his experience working within the railways in his youth. To me Ken is an artist to be celebrated and recognised for his achievements, not just within Swindon but world wide, be sure to discover more about this artist, there is lots more information about Ken on his website. If you are interested in his art you can contact the Ken via his website or contact Panter and Hall Gallery in London.