Art & Architect

We are so pleased and proud to be featuring paintings by Ken Tate!

Mark and I had the pleasure of meeting Ken Tate on a recent trip we took to New Orleans. Ken Tate is the renowned American architect who is one of Architectural Digest magazine's top 100 architects. His work can best be described from this description from his book A Classical Journey: The Houses of Ken Tate "These words- individual, mysterious, unexpected- describe the elements that distinguish Tate's houses from those next door, or down the street. Each dwelling complements those around it or, in the case of great estates, exists in harmony with its natural surroundings. Yet there is something arresting about each one- something that makes one stop and gaze a little longer. Unlike houses with over-scaled porticos and windows or overblown decoration designed to command attention, Tate's dwellings speak a softer voice..." In his paintings, however, his voice is raised. Where his skills are confined in architecture by allotted areas, rules and regulations, existing landscapes, historical preservations, the fact that math is math and numbers are non-negotiable, straight lines, and black sharpies, in his paintings they are set completely free. Say hello to high chroma colors, intentional strokes that are randomly perfect, vibrant, energetic, and so, so ALIVE! He's doing these bright, bold abstractions with squeegees and blobs of paint smashed with paper to make interesting shapes. We currently are showing an dynamic diptych tilled "A World Without Warhol"- the timing is so perfect for this as the Phoenix Art Museum is currently featuring a Warhol exhibit. We also have a single painting, "Pretty Boy Floyd". These are non-pop art pieces and the titles reference pop culture. We will soon be showing work from his new series that are all magazine covers that have been painted on, photographed, enlarged, and painted again. The art world calls this intervention. These beauties are framed under glass. His work is shown in the June 2015 issue of Architectural Digest magazine. His paintings have been sold in Harlem, NYC, Atlanta, Asheville, Perdido Beach, Jackson, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, Tulsa, Albuquerque, Santa Monica, L.A., and we are very honored to be the first to feature them in Arizona!