Ken Young, a 5th generation Texan, was raised in Lubbock and attended Texas Tech from 1963-1966. After a stint in the Army Security Agency where he spent time in Turkey, Japan, and Viet Nam he moved to Houston then on to Breckenridge, Colorado to become an artist. Beginning in 1971, Young made his living as a sculptor in metals but spent his spare time using his camera that he picked up when he left Viet Nam. He traveled the art show circuit for several years, moved back to Houston in '77 and took on large commissions from private individuals and corporations in the 1980's. At that time he also began showing in major galleries around the nation: Carmel, La Jolla, San Francisco, Scottsdale, Taos, Vail, Breckenridge, Houston, and New York City. "By the early 90's I was just burned out on the gallery scene" says Ken.
Returning to Lubbock in 1993, Ken married his childhood sweetheart and continued to work on commissioned sculptures. In 1999 he and his wife, Dinah, moved to a five-acre pecan orchard in Roaring Springs, Texas, where they have created "a small piece of paradise that includes a yurt and a house that I built and many gardens that Dinah creates".
But in 2002, after a series of mini-strokes caused by 30 years of metal dust, the sculptor turned back to the thing he had been doing all along, just because he loved it. Ken Young put down his torch and brought his photography out front. "I couldn't be happier.
His fine art photographs are museum quality that will last for many years to be passed down to future generations. However, the real test of time is how the viewer feels about the work. We suspect that is what prompted the folks at the historic Matador Ranch to commission Ken to document their operations.
Although Ken has created photographs in numerous other countries he mainly photographs in Texas. Of course the place and the subject are important, but the timing is a very special factor. As the artist describes it:
"We live in a great area and the Lord continually puts me in the right place. My images are not something I can plan but something I have to be always ready for. Whether it's a passing cloud, a newborn colt of a disappearing lifestyle, they are all images never to be seen again. I am blessed with the ability and talent to see and capture these passing moments in time."
