Melbourne-based artist Kim Kennedy has won international awards for his
sculptural pieces and oil paintings, and his works appear in collections
around the world. Yet a very basic philosophy has driven his artistic
success.
"There are no set rules in contemporary art," says Kim.
"Know your subject matter and capture it's character in that special
way, then you will have made a statement."
Equipped with nothing more than a welder, an oxy torch and a piece of old
metal, Kim can turn ordinary everyday items into striking works of art.
For instance, consider the front security door - not a terribly exciting
feature of your home. Yet add a little sculptural design and it becomes an
eye catching feature.
At his studio in Cantebury, Kim creates a great variety of pieces, from
gates to wine racks, mirrors to security doors. the metal is painted flat
black and then a patina green is ragged on to achieve that weathered
finish. All outdoor pieces are galvanised. "The stressed look works
quite well with my type of work because of it's roughness.," he says.
The twisted metal-vine effect gives a free flowing-feel to the piece, and
all the metal leaves are individually cut out. The more twisted and the
more erratic the better for me, because I like everything loose, not rigid
- I guess that's the artist in me coming out."
As a final touch, Kim adds copper sculptural forms and trims to his
various works - and the copper is actually recycled from old hot-water
service tanks. "The older the copper, the better, and there there are
even parts of the tanks that have corroded, and I always use those in
special areas. I also buff the copper up in areas I want to
highlight," he says.
"I've always used combinations of materials in my work; even in my
paintings, I've used wood on paintings or sculptural forms."
Kim first started producing sculptures based on more Australian themes,
such as the drover and Ned Kelly, then explored the possibilties of a
three-dimensional look by incorporating sculptures into paintings. It
wasn't until he participated in a trade show in Frankfurt that he became
really interested in working metal sculptural forms in with functional
homewares. "The trade show in Germany really changed my outlook. The
metalwork there inspired me to do my own."
A five-metre-high work by Kim is on permanent display at the entrance to
the head office of the Australian Tourism Association in Canberra, Cafe
Cavalli/ Auto Cavalli, which opens in St Kilda in November, will feature a
large collection of Kim's work.
