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Poets and artists

Ken Hurd

My work often draws from materials found in encyclopaedias and books of knowledge that I used to pore over as a boy, which is ironic because my work is more about a lack of understanding. I’m fascinated with the idea of lost or hidden knowledge and try to create a sense of wonder about the world.

The snowfall in February seemed to suggest a way of working. I decided to allow nature, or the elements, to 'paint' the pictures. It’s a risky way to work! The snow and rain moved the delicate water-based pigments around the canvases into unpredictable shapes - impossible to control. Overprinting fragments of Jane Seabourne's beautiful and sensitive poems has evoked a narrative for this work, but I also like the idea of the viewer imagining their own exotic landscapes or inventing their own rich stories – every one different.

Images - Light House Exhibition April 2006

'Earth and Fire. When it's time to go'
Box framed canvas 18 x 30 inches. Fabric dye on canvas with printed lettering.

'Elements. Another Sea'
Fabric dye and stenciled lettering on canvas. 30 x 30 inches.

'Elements. Nothing is ever lost'
Fabric dye and stenciled lettering on canvas. 30 x 30 inches.

'The arrow of time'
Original mixed media box mounted on canvas. 30 x 30 inches. Signed by the artist.

'The arrow of time': "With the presumed symmetry of charge and parity disproved, rigorous tests have been made of nature's indifference to which way time flows. No proof to the contrary has yet appeared but the hunt for it goes on."

'Closing Circle'
Giclée print on heavy duty archive paper. It measures 13 x 13 inches and is one of only 20 signed and numbered by the artist.

'Secrets of Strength'
Textile print, 30 x 30 inches. Signed by the artist.

'Ebb and Flow'
13 inches and is one of only 20 signed and numbered by the artist.