Ken Turner at 100: A Century of Crashing Culture

Centenarian artist Ken Turner has opened a new exhibition, 'Ken Turner at 100: A Century of Crashing Culture', at the Wharfside Arts Hub in Penzance. The show runs until 4 August and features a body of work that reflects Turner’s lifelong commitment to socially conscious public art and his views on global inequality. Known for his provocative performances, including driving a 15-tonne tank over a Tesla, Turner continues to challenge artistic conventions with a singular dedication to making art accessible to the public.

Turner describes himself as a 'simple rebel' rather than a revolutionary, a stance rooted in his early rejection of the art establishment. After serving in the Royal Engineers during the Second World War, he refused to complete his final exam at Regent Street Polytechnic because he was expected to paint in an impressionist style. He has consistently pushed back against institutional expectations, from declining a place at the Slade School of Fine Art to refusing to show in West End galleries, citing a deep suspicion of dealers and critics.

In the late 1960s, Turner formed Action Space, an art collective inspired by theatre director Joan Littlewood. The group focused on community-engaged art, creating large inflatable sculptures and events designed to take art out of traditional galleries and into public spaces. Action Space still exists today as a charity working with learning-disabled artists, including Turner Prize winner Nnena Kalu, continuing Turner’s mission to connect with people outside conservative art contexts.

The new exhibition at Wharfside Arts Hub showcases big, semi-abstract, and chaotic works that address themes such as the destruction of Gaza and the climate emergency. Turner believes museums should purchase these pieces to instruct the public on global sadness and inequality. His son, filmmaker Huw Wahl, has created a portrait of Turner that is being screened at the exhibition, with Wahl noting that his father’s painting has become more playful and childlike in the best sense.

Despite his age, Turner remains active in his practice and performance. He will perform at the exhibition opening alongside his daughter and states that he intends to continue painting until he is 110. He describes art as a necessity, noting that not painting causes him to become 'sick in my mind'. The exhibition serves as a testament to a career defined by radicalism, experimentalism, and an unwavering belief in the power of art to engage with the world.