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Australia’s best known artist discusses his prolific career, and what he's learnt about the business of being an artist.
Lucy Feagins: It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing you a podcast episode featuring the LEGENDARY Ken Done.
He shouldn’t really need an introduction… but I’ll give you a brief one anyway.
Born in 1940, in Sydney, Ken left school at 14 to study art. At just 19, he commenced his career as an art director and designer in various advertising and design agencies in New York, London and Sydney. But in his mid-thirties, he craved a return to his art practice.
After moving back to Australia, and juggling painting with a role as Creative Director of advertising agency J Walter Thompson, finally, at the age of forty, Ken made the decision to leave the ad game behind once and for all.
Since then his works have been shown in prestigious national awards including the Archibald, Sulman, Wynne, Blake, and Dobell Prizes, and he’s been involved in all manner of high profile art and design projects, such as creating a series of works for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Last week I interviewed Ken at the Adelphi Hotel the morning after he flew down for our TDF Design Awards presentation (I know… probably should have let him have a rest!).
We spoke his career path, from advertising to art, how he feels about the nostalgia surrounding his work, and what he’s learned about the business of being an artist.
