DONE'S DOGS — Four&Sons, the magazine where dogs and culture collide
Art&Culture

DONE’S DOGS

You’ve seen Ken Done’s sparkling Sydney Harbour cityscapes and spied his koalas on t-shirts, but have you met his dog, Spot?

s READ MORE
CLOSE

DONE’S DOGS

Beloved Australian artist Ken Done is well known for his candy-coloured Sydney vistas—bold, lively paintings of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and colourful sailboats scattered across the water. However, there’s a side to Done’s output that’s more personal, pensive, and affectionate. Days spent at home with his wife, Judy, or taking a stroll with their dog, Spot, are scenes that Done repeatedly turned his brush towards. Pieces such as Madonna and dog (2000), Spotty and I walking around the rocks (1992), and a series of four dog portraits completed in 2016 were highlighted in a recent exhibition called The Popular Pet Show at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

In her essay, curator Dr Sarah Engledow praises Done’s portrait series fondly, saying, “Only a kind man could paint such endearing mutts. In the great tradition of Done’s work, they express good things about Australia.” You can check out Done’s dogs and many of the exhibition’s other paintings compiled in The Popular Pet Book by Dr Engledow.


All artwork by Ken Done
kendone.com.au

CLOSE

TAKE THE LEAD

We are thrilled to introduce Dog-Friendly, a collection of city guides for dog-loving people, created together with our long-time contributor, photographer Winnie Au, and fellow enthusiasts, indie publisher Hoxton Mini Press. Available for purchase here.

PACK OF DOGS

Have you ever imagined Amy Winehouse or Nick Cave as a Chihuahua, Neil Young as a Vizsla, or PJ Harvey as an Afghan hound? That’s exactly what San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette has done through his unique illustration project, blending beloved, iconic music legends, both past and present, with their dog counterparts. Pack of Dogs, our first foray into book publishing, is a celebration of pup and pop culture for music and dog lovers alike.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Spanish photographer Sara Monsalve strives to ‘capture your memories’—to immortalise the beauty, innocence and wisdom of our pets.

JUMP FOR JOY

Photographer Rebecca Rinaldi knows that to capture a dog’s true essence, play is the key ingredient.

PLAY DATE

An antidote to mass-produced dog accessories, MiaCara’s range of carefully crafted toys are designed to surprise, endure and delight.

POODLE ELITE

Jouk Oosterhof photographs Amsterdam’s beloved family members (with a dash of lifestyle accessory).

TEAM EFFORT

What started as a fundraising effort to save photographer Kristoffer Paulsen’s beloved dog Josie, morphed into Melbourne’s most in-demand pet portraits.

Loading...
Loading more posts...