View source for Ken Done

{{short description|Australian artist|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox artist
| honorific_prefix = 
| name             = Ken Done
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of Australia|AM]]
| image            = Ken Done 2014.jpg
| image_size       = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = Done in 2014
| birth_name       = Kenneth Stephen Done
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1940|6|29|df=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Sydney]], New South Wales, Australia
| death_date       = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|2001|45|21|5644|32|11}} --> 
| death_place      =
| resting_place    = 
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| nationality      = Australian
| education        = 
| alma_mater       = [[National Art School]]
| known_for        = 
| notable_works    = 
| style            = 
| movement         = 
| spouse           = 
| awards           = <!-- {{awd|award|year|title|role|name}} (optional) -->
| elected          = 
| patrons          = 
| memorials        = 
| website          = {{URL|kendone.com.au}}
}}
'''Kenneth Stephen Done''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 29 June 1940) is an Australian [[artist]] best known for his design work. Although his simple, brightly coloured images of Australian landmarks have adorned a very popular range of clothing and homewares sold under the "Done Design" brand, Done's primary interest is in being a painter. Art critic John McDonald said: "Anybody who has anything to do with him realises he is a very serious artist."<ref name=Taffel>{{cite news|last1=Taffel|first1=Jacqui|title=Ken Done turns to theatre design|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/ken-done-turns-to-theatre-design-20140923-10jayy.html|accessdate=4 October 2014|issue=Spectrum section|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=27–28 September 2014|pages=10–11}}</ref>

==Early life==
Ken Done, an [[only child]], grew up in the northern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, and left high school at age 14 to study at the [[National Art School]] in [[East Sydney (locality)|East Sydney]] between 1954 and 1959.<ref name=SS>[http://www.staffordstudios.com.au/artists/donecv.html Ken done A.M. F.D.I.A (Hon) Hon B.des] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721165500/http://staffordstudios.com.au/artists/donecv.html |date=21 July 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://lundhumphries.com/pages/single/2205.html Ken Done, The Art of Design] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313213409/http://www.lundhumphries.com/pages/single/2205.html |date=13 March 2007}}</ref> At the end of this decade he travelled abroad and began working with the New York and London based advertising agency [[J. Walter Thompson]]. He returned to Sydney in 1969 to follow his artistic desires. He became a full-time painter in 1975.<ref>[http://www.studio-international.co.uk/books/done.asp The Art of Ken Done] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009054018/http://www.studio-international.co.uk/books/done.asp |date=9 October 2009 }} Janet McKenzie</ref>

==Exhibitions and works==

Done's first solo exhibition was in Sydney in 1980. To date, he has staged over 100 exhibitions dedicated solely to his work. Done's work has been exhibited in Australia, Japan, and France, amongst others. His first European exhibition was held in Paris in 1996. In the year 2000, his works were exhibited in Los Angeles and in London.<ref name=SS/>

His work for the [[Expo '88|1988 World Exposition]] held in [[Brisbane]] Australia, the colourful Children of the World facade for the United Nations Pavilion, and the several 6&nbsp;m high alphabet letter blocks that adorned the Entrance and Exit of the Australia Pavilion are largely regarded as playing a central role in the celebration and popular culture of Bicentennial Australia and were one of the most photographed works of art at the Expo. They have, as part of the 30th Anniversary celebration of Expo 88 in 2018, been fully restored, including an interview with Ken Done.<ref>{{Citation|title=17/5/2018 Greg Raedel/ Caboolture Historical Village on ABC Breakfast Radio|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvWUDV0kXTQ&list=PLyl7ezOFzIjAwvFhMKpr2s-LumQfZln84 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/uvWUDV0kXTQ |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2020-05-07}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 1994, the [[Powerhouse Museum]] staged a major retrospective of Done's work.

In 2015 from Dec 11 to Dec 20, 2015, Done exhibited a solo show of selected works produced throughout his career titled 'The Joy of Colour' at [[Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery]] in Seaforth, making this exhibition his first solo show within a commercial gallery that Ken Done has exhibited outside of his personally owned gallery located in The Rocks, Sydney.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://harbourview.rvrapid.com/?iid=103519&startpage=page0000009#folio=8|title = Harbourview Magazine: October 2014, Page 9|website = harbourview.rvrapid.com|access-date = 2016-03-04}}</ref>

His touring exhibition ''Paintings you probably haven't seen'' travelled for almost 3 years, touring regional galleries around Australia from 2019. The 35 artworks were hung in 11 galleries, from Far North Queensland to Victoria. They travelled over 10,000 kms, and were hung for 809 days.

==Design company==

Ken Done created a design company called ''"Done Art and Design"'' with his wif,e Judy Done. The company started out by producing small runs of T-shirts featuring Done's art and the garment design of his wife, Judy. In 199,3 the company won the Fashion Industries of Australia's Grand Award.

An original Ken Done work featured on the cover of the Japanese women's magazine [[Hanako (magazine)|Hanako]] every week between 1989 and 1999.<ref>[http://www.thebluedotgallery.com/Ken-Done.asp Ken Done] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223132815/http://www.thebluedotgallery.com/Ken-Done.asp |date=23 February 2008 }} The Blue Dot Gallery</ref>

==Advocacy==
[[File:Ken Done.jpg|thumb|Done at Mosman Art Gallery in 2010]]
He was a [[UNICEF]] Australia Goodwill Ambassador from 1988 to 2024 and won the [[Australian father of the year award]] in 1989.

During October 1995, Done was asked to create a series of flag designs by the then Australian Prime Minister [[Paul Keating]]. Republicanism in Australia was news at the time, and Done submitted sixteen designs to [[Ausflag]], some of which he had created as early as 1981.<ref>[http://www.ausflag.com.au/new/done.html Ken Done's Flag Gallery] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303203056/http://www.ausflag.com.au/new/done.html |date=3 March 2008 }} Ausflag</ref>

He was commissioned to produce a series of works for both the opening and closing ceremonies of the [[2000 Summer Olympics]].

Ken Done has long been a supporter of art in Australia, especially encouraging school students through awards and sponsorships, although Done decided to sue the Australian band [[TISM]] for appropriating his work on an album cover. The album formerly named ''[[Australia the Lucky Cunt]]'' was released in September 1993 and depicted a Done-style koala with a syringe in its mouth. Done was angered by this use and obtained an injunction order to ban the sale of the album.<ref>{{cite magazine | title = Random Notes | last = Scatena | first = Dino | magazine = [[Rolling Stone Australia]] | issue =489|page =11| publisher = Tilmond Pty Ltd | date = November 1993| location = Sydney, NSW}}</ref><ref name="Murphy">{{cite news | title = Satire and music in accord | last = Murphy | first = Kerrie | journal = [[The Australian]] | publication-date = 8 July 2004 | publisher = [[News Corp Australia|News Limited]] | page = 12 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/63337884 | accessdate = 24 January 2020 }}</ref> The album was then re-released in November under the a new title ''Censored Due to Legal Advice'' and a new cover depicting four edited pictures depicting Irish singer [[Sinéad O'Connor]] on the TV show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' when she tore up a photo of [[Pope John Paul II]]. The images are edited to show the singer tearing up a sheet with TISM's logo and the album's new name on it.<ref name="WBitW">{{cite web | url = https://weirdestbandintheworld.com/2012/04/04/weird-band-of-the-week-tism/ | title = TISM | work = The Weirdest Band in the World | date = 4 April 2012 | accessdate = 24 January 2020 | archive-date = 2 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190802154900/https://weirdestbandintheworld.com/2012/04/04/weird-band-of-the-week-tism/ | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 2006, he designed and created the [[United Buddy Bears|United Buddy Bear]] for Australia.

The Ken Done Gallery is located in [[The Rocks, New South Wales|The Rocks]], Sydney.

==Distinctions==
* {{flag|Australia}}: [[Order of Australia]] (AM) for services to Art, Design, and Tourism (1992)

==Awards==
*1967 [[Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival|Cannes Gold Lion Award]]
*1973 Gold and Silver A.W.A.R.D.S.
*1974 D. & A.D. Awards O.A.A.A. Award
*1975 Melbourne A.D.C. Awards
*1976 Caxton Award
*1977 F.A.C.T.S. Award
*1986 New South Wales Tourism Award
*1989 Father of the Year
*1992 [[Order of Australia|Order of Australia (AM)]] for services to Art, Design and Tourism
*1993 Fashion Industries of Australia Grand Award
*1993 [[Municipality of Mosman|Mosman]] Citizen of the Year
*1993 Rotary International Award for Excellence
*1993 Spirit of Australia Award for excellence in the Australian Arts

*1994 [[Rotary Foundation|Paul Harris Fellow]], Rotary International
*1999 Westpac Export Heroes Award, Australian Institute of Export
*1999 Fellow of [[Design Institute of Australia]] (Hon)
*2002 [[Powerhouse Museum]] Life Fellow
*2002 Bachelor of Design (Hon), Sydney Graphics College
*2007 The Japanese Foreign Minister’s Award
*2013 [[Design Institute of Australia]] Hall of Fame
*2016 [[GQ Australia|GQ]] Iconic Artist
*2022 [https://www.australianfashionlaureate.com/ Australian Fashion Laureate] Lifetime Achievement Award

==Quotes==

* ''If I make a painting, it should be seen for what it's set out to do too. A lot of the things that I do, it's not all art. Some of it's design, some of it's illustration, some of it's graphics, some of it's concept, some of it's business and some of it, hopefully, is art.''
* ''Art shouldn't be something that you go quietly into an art gallery and dip your forelock and say 'I have to be very quiet, I'm in here amongst the art.' It's here, art's everywhere. It's how you use your eyes. It's about the enjoyment of visual things. And it's certainly not for any one group of people.''
* ''I've always thought that there shouldn't be any limit to the things that are well designed. And I think that people who consider that art should only be kept for art galleries and doesn't have a role in public life, I think that's too narrow.''
* ''In the times in which we live it is far too restricting to say that art can only be found in art galleries and not touch people's everyday lives.. I want to use any means that are necessary to communicate to people what I feel about things. There are no rules. And if there are rules, then you may as well break them.''
* ''Wherever you are in the world, there's always something about the Australian light. There's something about the sharpness of it, something about the clarity of it, something about the colours of Australia. And, hopefully, something optimistic about Australian painting too.''<ref>[http://www.artquotes.net/masters/ken-done/art-quotes.htm Ken Done quotes]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [https://kendone.com.au Ken Done website]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Done, Ken}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian painters]]
[[Category:Clothing brands]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:National Art School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian artists]]