Kenneth Walsh's Son Discusses His Father's Festive Cover Art

This week, Christopher Walsh, son of late Montauk artist Kenneth Walsh, discusses his father’s festive Dans Papers cover art, “A Horn Blows at Midnight,” and his efforts to preserve his father’s work and keep his legacy alive.

Christopher Walsh Discusses Kenneth B. Walsh

Can you tell us about your late father and how you became the steward and historian of his art?

In the 1950s, Kenneth Bonar Walsh (1922-1980) came to Montauk from New York City to paint seascapes, catch fish, sing of nature’s beauty, put down roots and, later, develop a style of painting all his own.

The Boston native moved to New York, after attending the School of Practical Art on the G.I. Bill, where he began his career in the art department of Lever Brothers. But he had bigger dreams, and soon established the Bonart Studio, a commercial art business. RCA Records, the Ideal and Transogram toy companies, and the Schrafft’s candy and chocolate company were among the studio’s clients.

The business a success, he began to take vacations. He liked Montauk so much that he built a house in Hither Hills and established the Bonart Gallery, initially at Gosman’s Dock. Here, he painted the South Fork’s natural beauty, often depicting seascapes, boats and fishermen, mostly in watercolor but also in oil paintings, sculptures and collages. Later, in the 1970s, he developed a strikingly different, modernist style.

Years after his passing, I realized that the images he created should be seen by new generations. I began a search for his work, compiling, restoring and documenting as much as I could find. In 2017, there were exhibitions of his art in Montauk and Amagansett, and works have been featured in many subsequent exhibitions on the South Fork. His vision of people, mythology and the East End lives on at KennethBWalshArt.com.

What about this painting specifically? You said it’s actually a picture of you on Christmas?

I did not inherit the visual art gene. Instead, I’ve been obsessed with music throughout my life. I was already learning piano at age 8 when I asked Santa, during an appearance at the Montauk Firehouse, for a trumpet for Christmas. I played the plastic model I got that year until it fell apart. There is a photo of me playing it, which inspired my father’s abstract interpretation. For me, it’s a priceless remembrance of him.

Did you ever get a sense of why your father’s style shifted so drastically from the early work to this, and the even more abstracted stuff?

Honestly, no, but his early-1970s bout with bipolar disorder preceded the new style. Maybe that had something to do with how he saw and interpreted the world. I saw a Picasso exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1996, and realized how strong an influence he must have been. Picasso died in 1973, shortly before my father began painting in the new style.

What has it been like for you promoting this art and Kenneth Walsh’s legacy?

It’s always been about gaining more recognition for him and his work. He wanted people to see and appreciate his art, of course. To that end, I have sold a few of his works, and offer both original paintings and reproductions for sale. His best-known painting, of Montauk, was bought by a New York City collector a few years ago, and more recently was featured on a magazine cover, which was exciting. Many people have gotten in touch to tell me they have a print of the Montauk painting, which he made and sold back in the mid-1970s shortly after he’d painted it, or the “Montuk” map that he made and sold in the ’60s. My family is very happy with my efforts, too, which is gratifying.

I saw on LinkedIn that a book was in the works. Did that happen?

I published a very limited-edition book in 2017 to coincide with the solo exhibitions and launch of KennethBWalshArt.com. It is essentially a print version of the website. There are no more copies available, but in the course of this project several other works have turned up, and I hope to include those in a second edition in the near future.

What’s your strongest memory of your dad?

I mentioned visual art versus music — in addition to painting, sculpting, making collage and writing, he loved to sing. I think he learned a lot of his “repertoire” during his service in the Army Air Corps in World War II, and would regularly break into song — in the house, in the car, anywhere. It was embarrassing when friends were around! But it had a lasting influence on me, as I’ve been a performing musician since I was a teenager. I play solo jazz piano, and play guitar in a mostly-female band called the Cherry Bombs, which is a lot of fun. If I’ve inherited anything from him, I hope it’s creativity.

Where can people see Kenneth Walsh’s art in person? Any exhibitions coming up?

Private showings can be arranged by getting in touch at chris@kennethbwalshart.com.

Anything you’d like to add?

“A Horn Blows at Midnight” is, not surprisingly, one of my favorites of my father’s works, and I’m grateful to Dan’s Papers for featuring it on this week’s cover. Forward the message!