Ken Auster
(American)
A native Californian, Ken Auster grew up with his feet planted in the
surfing culture. While working his way towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree from Long Beach State University, he built one of the world’s
most prominent silkscreen and t-shirt companies, creating now legendary
surfing art. His surfing images became the “fine art” of this beach
culture.
In the mid 1990’s Ken moved to a more serious art level, involving
him with the immediacy of oil paints, as opposed to the process-burdened
medium of printmaking. Throwing himself into the splendor of “plein
air” (on location) painting. Ken discovered the richness and broad
colors of the city life he had long avoided. He rejoiced in this new
found ability to paint anything and everything- cafes, bars, train
stations, airports, street scenes, and of course, never far away, was
the beach, his first love.
The transition from surf art to serious impressionism was natural for
Ken. His passion and obsession to reach a new understanding between him
and the oil painting medium took on a new intensity of discovery. “I
simply want to achieve the ultimate communication on the canvas-to say
more with less.” Ken says.
This comes through with his deft use of color, his economies of brush
strokes, and his simple, yet beautifully structured compositions. As
one famous critic described “each painting captures a moment in time
charged with a hint of a narrative drama. And each is rendered with
vibrant immediacy that a single glance excites other senses as well.”
Ken describes himself as a painter of his surroundings that communicates
and documents the reality of our times, the edge between nature and man
made, the vitality of the city and everyday occurrences that we take for
granted.
In a relatively short time since his transition to plein air
painting, Ken Auster has moved to the forefront of American contemporary
impressionists. He consistently walks away with gold medals and first
place awards at juried exhibits. His work has been in museum exhibits
at the Haggin Museum in Stockton, Colorado History Museum in Denver, CO,
Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, CA, the Bakersfield Museum in
Bakersfield, CA, Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, CA and
the Texas Museum of Art in Corpus Christi, TX. He has been featured in
magazines such as Art & Antiques, Southwest Art, and articles about Ken
have appeared in Art Talk, Los Angeles Times, Surfers Journal, and the
Orange County Register. His work is collected by some of the most
respected galleries, corporations and patrons worldwide. Auster is a
signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America, a founding member
of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and a signature member of
the California Art Club. Ken’s passion for painting is shared with
hundreds of students who travel from around the world to attend his
workshops.
Jones & Terwilliger Galleries is proud to represent Ken Auster in our
Palm Desert location.
