Page 20 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
20
20
the bigger picture

Who’s a Swindon Treasure?
Look after our heritage says artist Ken There are some people who are
In our first of occasional articles about Swindon Treasures Juliet Platt talks with painter and muralist Ken supreme assets to the town, who
White, from Old Town,who gained national media coverage in the 1970s for his enduring mural of the Golden stand head and shoulders above all
Lion Bridge at Whalebridge, yet does not have one of his paintings in the town’s much vaunted collection of others for their social, cultural and
British modern art housed in Swindon Museum & Art Gallery. community contribution, during their
lives. We’d like to know who you think
Ken is also well known for creat-
ing the Scarlet Lady, the glamor- should be recognised as a treasure
of the town. Contact publisher@
ous mascot which adorns Richard swindonlink.com
Branson’s Virgin aircraft and his
work for Virgin branded locations Virgin airport lounges. Ken’s wife
around the world. Jan even knitted some of the Virgin
Ken is less famous in the town boss’s jumpers.
for his own considerable portfolio Describing the charismatic busi-
of oil on canvas artwork, reflecting nessman Ken said: “He was a bril-
his memories and experiences of liant boss. He’d just leave it all up
Swindon’s industrial past. to me. It was nerve-wracking to be
Swindon born and bred, Ken shown a white wall and told to get
began his apprenticeship in the on with it.”
railway works as a rivet hotter, Ken has now retired from mural
before moving into sign-writing. At work and dedicates himself to
the age of 17 he began studying his own paintings, which he sells
art at night school, then went on to through a London gallery.
Swindon Art College, on the top floor Commenting on the global appeal
of the recently demolished Swindon of his work Ken said: “I think people
College building. like scenes of how things used to
His work as a designer and il- be. My paintings have been shipped
lustrator took him to London and to the States and to Canada; I sold
New Zealand before he returned to 18 paintings at a London gallery
Wiltshire to raise his young family. exhibition in February this year.”
Ken created the Golden Lion Yet, ironically, there is not a single
Bridge mural in 1976 as part of a painting of Ken’s in Swindon’s art
job creation scheme. Explaining the collection, although MacArthur-
commission he said: “At the time I Glen bought seven canvasses for
was on the dole and receiving £30 a the Designer Outlet Village, and
month, having just returned from six Steam Museum have a couple of
months living in New Zealand where Ken’s works on loan.
I’d worked as an illustrator for the Ken is saddened by the disap-
Auckland News. Swindon Council pearance of so much of old Swindon
offered me £25 to do the painting, and the demise of its heritage. He
and to teach young students how dreads what might be constructed
to paint as well. Then the chemical on the old college site.
company Bayer used the mural in He said: “Swindon doesn’t know
an ad campaign and I became a what it’s got. We should keep what
muralist over one weekend.” we’ve got and look after our history.”
For 26 years Ken worked for Top, Ken with two of his evocative
Richard Branson, and travelled paintings displayed at Swindon: The
all over the world, meeting many Opera in June. Below, Ken holding
of the famous musicians and rock the Bayer advert from the 1970s in
stars of the day, and creating murals front of the Golden Lion mural which
at Branson’s recording studios, he refurbished in 2010 for Swindon
mega-stores, hotels and in the Does Arts

2 for 1 I am interested in receiving
details of future Swindon
Museums and Heritage events.
Victorian Christmas [ ] (please tick box)
Name:
at Lydiard House 1 to 30 December

Email:
Please present at Lydiard House for 1 person to get free entry
to the Victorian Christmas display at Lydiard House when
accompanied by a full paying adult. Postcode:
#

D14597 Valid from 1 to 30 December, open Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am to 4pm. Closed 24-26 December.
Applies to entry to Lydiard House & Walled Garden only, cannot be used for payment for craft activities.

19 - 48 December 12.indd 20 15/11/2012 16:13