Work of Rick Kemp
Rick Kemp: Artists Statement
I was born in Dorset in 1941. I have been a musician all my life and best known for song-writing and my work with seminal English folk-rock band, Steeleye Span. Apart from a long break in the middle, for good behaviour, I was with them from 1971 to 2018.
I have played, sung, written for and produced over 200 albums. I teach on various courses and run workshops, usually in conjunction with an evening of songs and stories. I play with various bands and my fifth solo CD will be released in August 2018.
I have a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (1986). For my first exhibition in 1980, in Highgate, North London, I wrote a poem, or lyric, to accompany each exhibit. Words and form, for me, make the expression of an idea complete, in the same way as lyric and melody make a song. The two elements constantly refresh and recharge each other. Nothing is ever ‘finished’.
As the nature of truth and many of the traditional human groupings undergo profound change, we are increasingly thrown back on our own recourses. This can often strengthen us as individuals, but at the same time promote isolation. I believe that art, more than ever, plays a part in the search for common understanding.
