A couple of weeks ago I was doing one of my favorite things in Seattle – walking around the Ballard Sunday Farmers Market and visiting the nearby shops – and I saw these guys at Venue and fell in love. I found Ken online and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.
I love your Robot Pioneers. Will you tell us a little bit about how you got started making them?
First I should say I have lots of names for these guys – Robot Pioneers, also Blockhead Dolls, Tribal Toys, The Wagon Train Playschool, and more.
As the story goes, I was moved by the spirit of a man who used to own the house I now rent. This man had left behind strings of old hardware and parts along with an old heavy duty workbench with a large vise on it. This space spoke to me and I responded. This all started in November 2010. It’s important to note that I have been making and installing instant art my whole life – I made an arbor out of toys and found objects that grew for three years in front of my old Georgetown house.
It all started with being transplanted outside of the system since I was four years old, being shifted from one strange house to another. I have been drawing and making art for 40 years and have worked in numerous hard labor jobs, which gave me things that art school could not.
What inspires you?
Actually doing the work inspires me; the rest is dead weight but my eyes are open and I find beauty in the discarded.
Where do you love to travel?
Travel is expensive and seems like a lot of work. I have worlds inside me which is a never ending adventure. If someone were to pay for my travel, I would live in France or New Zealand, but I have lived in Seattle for 23 years now and it really feels like home. I go for lots of walks through neighborhoods and parks with my son, and pick up things I put into my art.
What are some of your favorite movies?
Apocalypse Now, The Thin Red Line, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Note: I also loved Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Just sayin’.
Who are some of your favorite artists or designers and what draws you to their work?
I really liked the last show I saw, which was at the Milwaukee Art Museum – a couple called Gilbert and George; also Manuel Ocalla, Keith Haring, and H.R. Giger. I am drawn to the visual before any blatant meaning.
What advice do you have for people who want to break free from their “day jobs” and live a creative life?
I had a hip replacement; I was a successful garden designer and home restoration doctor – house painting, custom refinishing, trouble shooting for clients. Then I couldn’t do that work to the same extent anymore and I started focusing on making these guys.
My wife and I support each other in our creative work; she is an actor, writer and arts advocate. She’s earned most of our rent the last few years. Mostly we rely on blind faith. The only advice I have for anyone is if you’re depressed because you have been ignoring your creativity then you should make art. Anything. Take a picture of your toilet, prune a tree (correctly), remember that what you pay attention to increases.
Ken, thanks for your time and for sharing some of your story with us. I’m so glad that I discovered your amazing sculptures. You guys can find Ken online at Practical Creativity on Facebook and Etsy. If you’re in Seattle, you can visit the pioneers in person at Venue in Ballard.
Note: I swear that I don’t only like artists/photographers named Ken. I know that you might think that based on last week’s post and this one, but I just wanted to assure you that it isn’t true.