Ke Francis
Food & Weather Gauge (1/40)

About the Item

Artwork Size: 12 x 19 in Edition 1 of 40 "Flood and Weather Gauge" is a multi-colored print from hand-carved engravings, matted and framed, by Ke Francis. As a writer as well as a visual artist, many of Francis' artworks have a literary aspect to them, whether it is pure illustration or an implied narrative. "Flood and Weather Gauge" was created as a purely visual image without any accompanying text. However, Francis creates an implied narrative within the piece through the relationship and dialogue between the overwhelmed homemade weather gauge and the intensifying weather conditions of the flood. Over ten years after the original work's creation, a version of Flood and Weather Gauge accompanied Michael Hannon's poem in Idiot Wind published by Francis' printing company Hoopsnake Press. About the Artist: Ke Francis is a narrative artist who has been actively producing artwork for more than fifty years. Francis works with themes and subjects familiar to him. He has traveled around the world and recorded images and stories from his trips as raw material for his work. However, much of his work reflects the environment and culture of the Southeastern United States, where he has spent most of his life. Francis employs every tool available to explore both true and implied narrative. “Implied narrative is a conversation between the actual components of the [piece],” says Francis, “Shapes, colors, and lines have a conversation and while the viewer cannot hear the conversation they can view the interaction.” In his artwork, Francis evokes the tragic effects of disaster while simultaneously celebrating the resiliency of the human spirit. He does so through imagery that bears the marks of its creation. The elements in his work coalesce and act as a stage for individual human will and determination. Francis expresses his creativity through various media, including printmaking, painting, sculpture, bookbinding and printing, and writing short stories and poetry. He views his diverse range of skills as simply tools to explore a narrative. His book works, paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures are in over thirty major public and private international collections, including The Getty Museum, National Gallery, National Museum of American Art, New Orleans Museum of Fine Art, San Francisco Museum of Contemporary Art, among many others. He and his wife, Mary, are co-owners of Hoopsnake Press, a fine-art press that publishes artist books and prints. “I believe in the art experience. I believe it is possible, even probable, that reading books, experiencing plays, viewing good art, and listening to beautiful music can make a person a more complete and empathetic human being. I believe that experiences can be shared, emotions expressed and understood, and that these communications offer us insights into the human condition and increase both our tolerance and our appreciation of our fellow humans. “—Ke Francis

Creator:

Ke Francis (American)

Dimensions:

Height: 21 in (53.34 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)

Medium:

Paper,Ink,Engraving

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

21st Century

Condition:

Gallery Location: