Rural Versus Urban Ideology: Art by Ken Herren
ZootSuit, acrylic-infused pumice on canvas
Ken Herren uses abstraction as a way to explore rural versus urban ideology. Ken’s heavily textured works often incorporate unusual materials such as pumice to build up the surface and add visual interest.
Vague Plans, acrylic-infused pumice on canvas
I like the way that Ken utilizes colour in his artworks. Not content to simply play with texture, the artist also tends to select a single, bright hue and stick with it over much of the surface of a painted work. The technique that Ken uses is also interesting – his works appear to be layered with an underlying, bright pattern flush against the canvas, hidden below intermitted clumps of textured pumice. The effect is like uncovering a lost treasure that’s been buried underground for many years.
The front page of Ken's website
While Ken’s paintings are stylistically cohesive, the variation in the interesting and poetic titles keep the viewer guessing. For more interesting textured painted works, check out the portfolio of David Maxim, as well.
