Ken Done | |
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 Done in 2014 | |
| Born | Kenneth Stephen Done (1940-06-29)29 June 1940 (age 84) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | National Art School |
| Website | kendone |
Kenneth Stephen DoneAM (born 29 June 1940) is an Australianartist best known for his design work. Although his simple, brightly coloured images of Australian landmarks have adorned a very popular range of clothing and homewares sold under the "Done Design" brand, Done's primary interest is in being a painter. Art critic John McDonald said: "Anybody who has anything to do with him realises he is a very serious artist."[1]
Ken Done, anonly child, grew up in the northern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, and left high school at age 14 to study at theNational Art School inEast Sydney between 1954 and 1959.[2][3] At the end of this decade he travelled abroad and began working with the New York and London based advertising agencyJ. Walter Thompson. He returned to Sydney in 1969 to follow his artistic desires. He became a full-time painter in 1975.[4]
Done's first solo exhibition was in Sydney in 1980. To date he has staged over 100 exhibitions dedicated solely to his work. Done's work has been exhibited in Australia, Japan, and France, amongst others. His first European exhibition was held in Paris in 1996. In the year 2000 his works were exhibited in Los Angeles and in London.[2]
His work for the1988 World Exposition held inBrisbane Australia, the colourful Children of the World facade for the United Nations Pavilion, and the several 6 m high alphabet letter blocks that adorned the Entrance and Exit of the Australia Pavilion are largely regarded as playing a central role in the celebration and popular culture of Bicentennial Australia and were one of the most photographed works of art at the Expo. They have as part of the 30th Anniversary celebration of Expo 88 in 2018, been fully restored, including an interview with Ken Done.[5]
In 1994 thePowerhouse Museum staged a major retrospective of Done's work.
In 2015 from Dec 11 to Dec 20, 2015, Done exhibited a solo show of selected works produced throughout his career titled 'The Joy of Colour' atTrevor Victor Harvey Gallery in Seaforth, making this exhibition his first solo show within a commercial gallery that Ken Done has exhibited outside of his personally owned gallery located in The Rocks, Sydney.[6]
His touring exhibitionPaintings you probably haven't seen travelled for almost 3 years touring regional galleries around Australia from 2019. The 35 artworks were hung in 11 galleries, from Far North Queensland to Victoria. They travelled over 10,000 kms, and were hung for 809 days.
Ken Done created a design company called"Done Art and Design" with his wife Judy Done. The company started out by producing small runs of T-shirts featuring Done's art and the garment design of his wife Judy. In 1993 the company won the Fashion Industries of Australia's, Grand Award.
An original Ken Done work featured on the cover of the Japanese women's magazineHanako every week between 1989 and 1999.[7]
He was aUNICEF Australia Goodwill Ambassador from 1988 to 2024 and won theAustralian father of the year award in 1989.
During October 1995, Done was asked to create a series of flag designs by the then Australian Prime MinisterPaul Keating. Republicanism in Australia was news at the time and Done submitted sixteen designs toAusflag, some of which he had created as early as 1981.[8]
He was commissioned to produce a series of works for both the opening and closing ceremonies of the2000 Summer Olympics.
Ken Done has long been a supporter of art in Australia especially encouraging school students through awards and sponsorships, although Done decided to sue Australian bandTISM for appropriating his work on an album cover. The album formerly namedAustralia the Lucky Cunt was released in September 1993 and depicted a Done-style koala with a syringe in its mouth. Done was angered by this use and obtained an injunction order to ban the sale of the album.[9][10] The album was then re-released in November under the a new titleCensored Due to Legal Advice and a new cover depicting four edited pictures depicting Irish singerSinéad O'Connor on the TV showSaturday Night Live when she tore up a photo ofPope John Paul II. The images are edited to show the singer tearing up a sheet with TISM's logo and the album's new name on it.[11]
In 2006 he designed and created theUnited Buddy Bear for Australia.
The Ken Done Gallery is located inThe Rocks, Sydney.
Australia:Order of Australia (AM) for services to Art, Design, and Tourism (1992)| International | |
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