Visual art is a highly subjective medium, which is why so many practitioners of the craft go to their graves having never achieved a high level of notoriety. Every once in a while, though, artists come along whose work speaks to the masses. These artists may never reach the lofty status of art icon, but some seem to speak in a language that transcends all other forms of communication. The 10 artists in this list share this common quality, in addition to the fact that they are all named Ken.
- Ken Done – A native of Sidney, Australia, Ken Done is an artist-designer best known for his contributions to the 2000 Sidney Olympics. He created a number of works for the Olympic games, which was off the back of a commission in 1995 for the Australian Prime Minister where he designed a number of flags for Ausflag – an organization that was put together to promote a new Australian flag.
- Ken Kelly – With such iconic depictions as Conan the Barbarian, the band Kiss and covers for the magazine Castle of Frankenstein under his belt, Ken Kelly is one of the best known fantasy artists in the world. His work always centers around epic characters and settings, with an exotic backdrop that is unmistakable once experienced.
- Ken Danby – Just six years after enrolling in the Ontario College of Art in 1958, Ken Danby had a sell-out exhibition to his credit. His work usually depicts realistic scenes from life, such as his piece about a hockey player passionately fending off attacking shots entitled At the Crease. The Canadian born artist sadly passed away after collapsing in 2007 while on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park.
- Ken Howard – Howard is an artist who appreciates angles, light and the little details that are often taken for granted. His paintings are traditional in style, but have a particular emphasis on tones. He is the recipient of a number of awards, including the Lord Mayor’s Art Award, the John Moores Exhibition in Liverpool and the first prize in the Hunting Group Awards.
- Ken Perenyi – They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. If that is truly the case, then Ken Perenyi is flattering, indeed. This artist made his fortune through art forgery, however, he has now turned his talents to honest work. Perenyi’s career of forging famous art work came to an end in 1998, when the FBI came calling to question him about forged James E. Buttersworth pieces that had been sold at Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
- Kenneth Noland – Color Field painting was a popular art form in the 1940s and 1950s, close to Abstract Expressionism. Noland was one of the most well-known masters of the medium, and was instrumental in bringing about the Washington Color School Movement. He was particularly well known for his paintings of circles, targets and other abstract forms and shapes.
- Kenneth M. Freeman – The “Rembrandt of the Rodeo,” as he is better known in the art world, this Chicago born artist has been commissioned to create covers for Louis L’Amour, famed author of popular Westerns. He has depicted such legends as John Wayne, John Smith and Robert Fuller in his portrait style paintings, and listed President Herbert Hoover among those who have purchased his art.
- Ken Cox – Comic books and illustrations are the chosen medium of Ken Cox. However, he is most famed for his vintage American comic, which can often be seen in British newspapers, The Telegraph, Times, Financial Times, Independent and Guardian. Ken also makes his living as an illustrator of children’s books, when he’s not playing with his blues band, Bluesette.
- Ken White – With over 100 murals under his belt worldwide, Ken White is, you could say, committed to making his mark. On his days off from creating murals, Ken takes time out to work for Sir Richard Branson as on-call artist for the entrepreneur’s record shops, airport lounges and offices. White’s work draws strongly on his youth, when he worked in railway workshops, and often depicts industrial landscapes.
- Kenneth Snelson – It’s hard to decide whether Kenneth Snelson is an artist or creative engineer. Snelson claims that he perfected the concept of tensegrity, an artform that incorporates ‘tension’ and ‘structural integrity,’ to create art from combining both flexible and rigid materials. If you’re confused, imagine an intricate artistic structure, where steel bars and struts never meet, all suspended by tensioned cables. Still confused? It’s probably one of those times where you need to see it to believe it.