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Ken Auster BIOGRAPHY
1949 - 2016. Known for: Landscape-streets, coastal view.
Raised in Long Beach, Ken Auster early established a reputation as the surfers' artist, having designed and executed numerous surfer-motif tee shirts in silk screen. He was swept up in the surfing... Read full biography
Raised in Long Beach, Ken Auster early established a reputation as the surfers' artist, having designed and executed numerous surfer-motif tee shirts in silk screen. He was swept up in the surfing craze, which led him to Hawaii where he worked for a T-shirt company and learned screen painting.... Read full biography
Raised in Long Beach, Ken Auster early established a reputation as the surfers' artist, having designed and executed numerous surfer-motif tee shirts in silk screen. He was swept up in the surfing craze, which led him to Hawaii where he worked for a T-shirt company and learned screen painting. These skills supported him when he returned to California and majored in illustration at California State University, Long Beach. He worked from a garage and printed hundreds of commercial T-shirts, which... Read full biography
Raised in Long Beach, Ken Auster early established a reputation as the surfers' artist, having designed and executed numerous surfer-motif tee shirts in silk screen. He was swept up in the surfing craze, which led him to Hawaii where he worked for a T-shirt company and learned screen painting. These skills supported him when he returned to California and majored in illustration at California State University, Long Beach. He worked from a garage and printed hundreds of commercial T-shirts, which became a large operation called California T-Shirts. For more than a decade, the shirt is became signature casual wear for surfers and were sold through 26 of Auster's retail outlets. In the 1980s, the business fell apart, which was a relief to him... Read full biography
Raised in Long Beach, Ken Auster early established a reputation as the surfers' artist, having designed and executed numerous surfer-motif tee shirts in silk screen. He was swept up in the surfing craze, which led him to Hawaii where he worked for a T-shirt company and learned screen painting. These skills supported him when he returned to California and majored in illustration at California State University, Long Beach. He worked from a garage and printed hundreds of commercial T-shirts, which became a large operation called California T-Shirts. For more than a decade, the shirt is became signature casual wear for surfers and were sold through 26 of Auster's retail outlets. In the 1980s, the business fell apart, which was a relief to him because his interest had turned to fine art. He moved to Laguna Beach and after creating collages and serigraphs, he began oil painting... Read full biography
Artist Biography
Biography page for Ken Auster ((1949 - 2016)), known for Landscape-streets, coastal view. Showing 2 biographical entries and 0 sample artworks.
Ken Auster - Artist Info
About Ken Auster
Biography from the Archives of askART
Raised in Long Beach, Ken Auster early established a reputation as the surfers' artist, having designed and executed numerous surfer-motif tee shirts in silk screen.
He was swept up in the surfing craze, which led him to Hawaii where he worked for a T-shirt company and learned screen painting. These skills supported him when he returned to California and majored in illustration at California State University, Long Beach. He worked from a garage and printed hundreds of commercial T-shirts, which became a large operation called California T-Shirts. For more than a decade, the shirt is became signature casual wear for surfers and were sold through 26 of Auster's retail outlets.
In the 1980s, the business fell apart, which was a relief to him because his interest had turned to fine art. He moved to Laguna Beach and after creating collages and serigraphs, he began oil painting and did popular surfing scenes.
Intrigued by the landscape, he became a plein aire painter and traveled and painted along the west coast from Oregon to Mexico.
In 1997, spring flooding did much damage to his studio, and he completely remodeled it by adding more workshop and increasing the exhibit area. To celebrate the grand opening, he had an exhibit of his San Francisco and Southern California work titled "Urban/Air: Exploring the Everyday."
Although he remained dedicated to his painting, he continued to surf several hours a day.
Source: Taos Art Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
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Ken Auster won First Prize at the Carmel Arts Festival in 2002.
Ken Auster passed away January 29, 2016.Biography from Red Piano Art Gallery
A native Californian, Ken Auster grew up with his feet deeply planted in the surfing culture. While studying illustration at California State University, Long Beach, he expressed his art through silkscreen and graphic design. In the mid 1990's Ken moved to a more serious art level, involving him with the immediacy of oil paints as opposed to the process-burdened medium of printmaking.
Auster was a signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America, a founding signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and a signature member of the California Art Club. He consistently walked away with gold medals and first place awards at juried exhibits and his work is collected by patrons across America.
Ken Auster passed on January 29, 2016.