Ken Herren
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BIO
Herren’s creative spirit was awakened at an early age in a most remarkable way. After a semitrailer carrying several hundred gallons of paint lost its load and spilled a life-sized abstract painting across his neighborhood street; the city dispatched trucks full of sand to the site, and with great efficiency, irreverently concealed the brilliant mess of color. With time, Herren’s creative musings were overshadowed by adult influence, and a pursuit of practical sciences was agreed upon for his future. Discontent eventually led to chemical dependency and a 13-year addiction ensued.
Now 34 years sober, Herren looks with wonder at the “long game” his creative spirit was willing to play in order to fully manifest, including a multi decade career path of nursing, firefighting and, the opening of an art gallery and custom frame studio with his wife. Today, Herren’s expressionist work holds their presence within the community as unapologetically as his soul’s mission to express.
Artist Statement
Inspired by a vivid childhood experience, Ken Herren’s collection of colorful abstractions employs an intentionally playful process, using bold color and course texture to elicit a visceral experience. But it is the delicately balanced tension between what is seen and what is hidden that invites the viewer into an exploration of the complexity of self-identity and human relations; where outer veneers both reveal and conceal the true souls and “messy beauty” within us all.
Little About Ken
What inspires your work?
My colorful abstractions are inspired by a rare childhood experience. On an otherwise ordinary day, a semitrailer carrying hundreds of 5-gallon paint cans lost its load on my neighborhood street. As a child, the whole scene: its array of color, sticky texture, and fragrance was beyond my wildest imagination. When the city heard about the incident, dump trucks full of sand converged onto the block. Heralded by adult prudence to “reduce property damage,” workers heaped sand onto the larger-than- life abstract painting. To this day, I am forever chasing the wonder of the day it “rained” paint on my neighborhood street.
What is something unexpected about you that often surprises people?
I have previously worked as a registered nurse and am a retired lieutenant from the Minnetonka Fire Department.
What do you consider your most significant achievement as an artist?
I got accepted into the Minnesota State Fair…once or twice.
How has your work evolved over time?
The underpainting of my earlier work was far more hidden. As I have grown in my confidence as an artist, the negative spaces have opened up and given the viewer greater access to the place where I have the most fun and spend the most time.
Is there a particular medium or subject you're drawn to, and why?
Pumice and bright colors. Brings me right back to my early childhood experience.
What's the most challenging part of being an artist?
Trying to balance creative inspiration and the demands of commerce. Marketing and self-promotion divert an energy that wants to be playful.
Do you have a favorite piece you've created? Why does it stand out?
My favorite piece is called “Cupcake.” It was an award-winning piece at Hopkins Center for the Arts and proved to be a “breakthrough” piece in how I approached composition and color.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Glendive, Montana and spent formative years on the west coast. BUT “grew up” in Minnesota.
Who are your artistic influences or mentors?
Jack Kerouac, Thomas Hart Benton, Mark Rothko, Jim Rabby and George Morrison
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
Be persistent, resilient, and GRATEFUL.
