Curator Statement

This little sketch is unusual because Ken’s colour palette, one of his most distinctive traits, is used to frame a rectangular black void, rather than paint the subject. Scratched inside the black rectangle is the outline of a female nude torso with a brightly coloured flower positioned on her shoulder. If you drew a diagonal line from the top right of the frame to the bottom left, the line would join the flower, the girl’s breast and link them to the flower at the bottom left of the frame. It’s an example of Ken’s technical prowess, his seemingly artless and naïve sketch having a strong formal composition basis for an enigmatic subject. Is she young and slightly awkward? Her shoulder pulled back to draw attention to her breast, or is she a more experienced woman who’s engaging directly with the artist and the viewer? Is she a creature of Ken’s imagination and memory or was she sketched from life? I don’t know, but I do like looking at her and imagining her story.