Artist Statement
As a youngster I filmed stories and animated pictures and objects, making static things move. Theatre and dance were an important part of my life. Most of my practice is explorations of the motion of forms interacting with lighting creating new impressions and new realities. In other work it is the reflection and projection of my life experience. The perception of my work will always be from the viewer's life experiences. My artwork divides into two areas, one practice is rooted in figurative traditions and abstracted images. Often multi-layered images arise in which the seemingly certain reality is questioned. My practice isolates the movements of humans and objects and by doing so, new realities are created which informs the inseparable relationship between the artist and the viewer. My print work re-contextualizes ancient and modern icons and motifs often showing the close artistic bond between ancient and modern humans regardless of time and geographic distances.
Biography
Ken Clark, one of the few New Zealand artists to be selected for the 'On Screen' project at the Saatchi Gallery in London, was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1957. His early work has been mainly in film and television as a film and videotape editor, animator and director. He has a Graduate Certificate in Design from CPIT (Christchurch) and a BFA (Hons) from Canterbury University. It was during his last year at Canterbury University, 2016, that he rekindled his passion for painting and print making.He lives and works in Christchurch, New Zealand and has exhibited nationally and in London, Munich, Basel, Rome and the USA.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
Images Curated by Dr Liz Bolt
Eastside Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, February - March 2020
Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, September/October 2017
Lights Camera Action Curated by Michael Dodds
12 Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand, August 2017
Time Frames Curated by Marian Maguire
PGgallery192, Christchurch, New Zealand, May 2 – 27, 2016.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
The Longest Night Curated by Dr Liz Bolt
Eastside Gallery, Christchurch, June 2021
One of nine artists selected by The Morant Foundation.
Molly Morpeth Canaday Award Painting and Drawing 2021
Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi - Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre, Whakatāne, 13 February - 4 April 2021 (Juried exhibition)
Art & Conflict
International Art Exhibition, online November 2020 (Juried exhibition)
Cathedral Junction Exhibition Curated by Warren Feeney
Cathedral Junction, Christchurch, New Zealand, August 2020 (Juried exhibition)
The Cleveland National Art Awards 2019
Otago Art Society, Dunedin, New Zealand, May 4 - June 15 2019
Ballet Bodies
Windsor Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, April 2019
Time
Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, USA, March 15 – April 28, 2019 (Juried exhibition)
Pride Week Exhibition
Windsor Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, February 2019
Bodies in Movement
Millepiani Gallery, Rome, Italy, 1st -28th February 2019 (Juried exhibition)
The Healing Power of Art 2019,
Manhattan Arts International "Arabesque", Award of Excellence, January - March, 2019 (Juried exhibition)
Eclectic Art
Windsor Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, June/July, 2018 (Juried exhibition)
NZ Art Show,
TSB Arena, Wellington, New Zealand, May-June, 2018
Selected for New Zealand Art Show Emerging Artist Award
Night Vision
AfterMath Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, December, 2017
Ugly
Linus Galleries, On line, Long Beach, USA, October, 2017 (Juried exhibition)
Analog v.Digital
Foley Gallery, New York, USA, August, 2017 (Juried exhibition)
The Sunday Show Curated by Michael Dodds
12 Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand, May, 2017
CityScapes Art Exhibition, Special Recognition Award
Light Space and Time Gallery, Jupiter, FL. USA, February, 2017 (Juried exhibition)
Water and Sky & Sea of Art
bG Gallery, Santa Monica, USA, February, 2017 (Juried exhibition)
ARTHOUSE Curated by Michael Dodds
12 Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand, January, 2017
On Screen Project,
2nd Floor, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK, December, 2016- December 2020-
DECEMBER 2016 ALL PHOTOGRAPHY
Contemporary Art Gallery Online, December Art Competition.
(Juried exhibition)
2nd International Juried Exhibition "Show Your World"
Gallery MC, New York City, USA, November 10 - November 22, 2016
'WE LOVE PEOPLE'
Atelier Alen, Baaderstr. 34 in Munich, Germany. August, 2016
(Juried exhibition)
Upstream People Gallery, Omaha, NE, USA, August, 2016
(Juried exhibition)
Light Space and Time Gallery, Jupiter, FL. USA, July, 2016
(Juried exhibition)
CoCa Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1999
'Τερψιχόρη/Terpsichore' (Director/Animator)
Uni Shorts, International Student Film Festival.
Best Experimental Animation, Auckland, New Zealand, October 2016
'SNIP' (Writer/Director)
Uni Shorts, International Student Film Festival
Finalist Fiction Category, Auckland, New Zealand, October 2014
WILDsound DRAMA & UNDER 5 MINUTE FEEDBACK Film Festival
Winning Drama Short Film, Toronto, Canada, August 2018
'Illusions of Motion" (Writer/Director)
listed in the Clermont-Ferrand 39th Short Film Festival Catalogue. 2014
'All the Years of Trying' (Music Video Segment: Producer/Director)
The Raindance Festival, The Apollo West End, London, UK. September 30 - October 11, 2009,
'Wonder' (FX & Editor)
The Museum of Television & Radio November 1 to November 23, 2003, in Los Angeles and November 8 to November 30, 2003, in New York
2003 New Zealand Academy of Film and Television Arts
Nominated for Best Contribution to Design Award
'Lenny Minute' (Actor & Consultant)
Cannes Film Festival Nominated for Palme d'Or (Best Short Film) 1993, Ann Arbour Film Festival (US), Jury Award (Best Narrative Film) 1994
'A Silent Welcome' (Writer/Director)
Christchurch International Film Festival, 1976
'The Imaginary Zoo' (Writer/Director/Animator)
3rd in the New Zealand Section, BBC Television. ASIFA, ICOGRADA Animated Film Competition, 1973
EVENTS AND REVIEWS
"Tangata Tiriti" - The Raparapa selected for the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award Painting and Drawing Award 2021
"Groats VVorth of Witte" and "Metal Moments" nominated for The Cleveland National Art Awards 2019
"Time", Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, USA, March 2019, https://www.j2gallery.com/exhibitions/past
"Ken Clark’s piece, “A Propos De Nice” is a time lapse photograph of a profile swinging back and forth, which symbolizes how human kind often focuses on the past and future. Clark says, “Time is like a pendulum. Swing one way it is the dreams and aspirations. Swing the other way it is the memories. In between these two extremes is the present.” If people are to truly live in the present moment, they often “lose track of time.” This poses a question of how often one actually lives in the present and does not reflect on the past or anticipate the future."
"Bodies in Movement", February 2019, https://www.loosenart.com/blog...
Nominated in "Emergent" in the "NZ Art Show 2018"
"Ugly", Linus Galleries, October 2017, Ugly Call for Entries Slideshow - Linus Galleries (linusgallery.com)
"ART Habens Art Review, August 2017"
"ART Habens" review of "Time Frames"
"Artist Ken Clark's work explores the individual frames that make up a moving image, to consider the vital relationship between direct experience and visual interpretations. In his cross-disciplinary project "Time Frames", he accomplishes the difficult task of triggering the spectatorship's' perceptual and cultural parameters. The power of Clark's approach lies in his insightful and unconventional inquiry into the viewers' perceptual processes, using in strategic ways he generates new practical and theoretical perspectives."
Full article at: https://issuu.com/arthabens/do...
"Analog v. Digital" http://www.foleygallery.com/ex...
'Wotisart', magazine, UK, July 2017
"A5" magazine, UK, June 2017
"Sitting" and "A One Night Stand's Morning" nominated for Waitakere Art Awards 2017
Watch "Τερψιχόρη/Terpsichore":
"Water and Sky & Sea of Art" http://wsimag.com/art/23844-se...
"15th Annual Summer All Media Juried International Art Exhibition" Upstream People Gallery, Omaha, NE, USA, August 2016
"KEN CLARK of Christchurch, New Zealand has a sense of elongation in terms of his pictorial space and his work "Conception" shines out. The high saturated color together with the central light effect helps to speak out about the birthing process. In a similar format, his "Phoebe 16031" is an intermixture of the pixelated with the tighter realism suggestive of a kind of mystery woman. The intense yellow contrasting color adds to a kind of dynamism." - Laurence Bradshaw: Professor Emeritus, Art and Art History, University of Nebraska. (Juror)
http://www.upstreampeoplegalle...
"New Zealand Television Awards 2003", Nominated, Brand Spank, Best Contribution to Design,
NZ ON SCREEN online showcase of New Zealand Television, Film and Music www.nzonscreen.com/per...