Ken Kiff / Andrew Lambirth ; foreword by Norbert Lynton ; epilogue by John McLean.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lambirth, Andrew, 1959-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kiff, Ken.

Painters--Great Britain--Biography.

Painters.

Drawing.

Great Britain.

Painting--Great Britain.

Painting.

Drawing--Great Britain.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

224 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 28 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Thames & Hudson, 2001.

Summary:

Ken Kiff was one of the most distinctive British artists of the late twentieth century. His paintings and drawings, frequently the result of a long period of gestation and meticulous reworking, display a mastery of colors in vibrant tones, and are often characterized by fantastic flights of the imagination, inspired by such artists as Klee and Miro. Notable aspects of his oeuvre include variations on themes, as in the "Goddess" and "Street" series, and his extensive range of acrylic paintings on paper, amounting to nearly two hundred works in all.

This first ever illustrated monograph on the artist presents an account of Kiff's career from the 1960s to 2000, culminating in his election to the Royal Academy in 1989 and appointment in 1991 as Artist in Residence at the National Gallery, London. Sadly, Kiff's career was cut short by illness and he died in February 2001, but he was actively involved in the early stages of this book, and his own memories and views on art are quoted verbatim.

Born in Dagenham, Essex, in 1935, Kiff grew up in London during the Second World War. His childhood was blighted by the loss of his father, killed in 1941, and the effects of these traumatic years are reflected in the style and imagery of much of his work. After leaving school, he continued his studies at Hornsey School of Art and subsequently taught in London at Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art. Kiff's extensive travels included several working trips to the United States, where he collaborated with the leading print-maker Garner Tullis at his studios in Santa Barbara and New York. His works have been shown in numerous group and solo exhibitions, and may be seen in major public collections, including Tate Britain, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Contents:

Foreword: Thinking about Ken / Norbert Lynton 6

1 First Things 26

2 Towards an Independent Style 40

3 The Abyss of Possibilities 52

4 The Seventies and The Sequence 72

5 The Commercial World 96

6 Episodes of Travel 102

7 The Street, the Goddess, the Serpentine Gallery, the Triptychs 120

8 Ways of Working 142

9 Print-making and the National Gallery Residency 166

10 After the National Gallery 192

Conclusion: Unfinished Business 206

'Visiting Hell in a Boat' / James Greene 219.

Notes:

"With 206 illustrations, 168 in color."

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0500093008

OCLC:

50005064