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Ad Code: 3
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16" x 20", oil on board.
Artwork images are copyright of the artist or assignee
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This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| Harold Kenneth Russel Kilstrom was born on 25 December 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, the only son of Harold Robert and Hulda Elfreda Elizabeth Nelson Kilstrom, both children of Swedish immigrants. Harold Robert Kilstrom was employed as an optician in Chicago in the 1910-1930 censuses. Kilstrom married a woman named Joy who was born in 1915. Her Social Security Number was issued in Illinois, as was Kenneth's, so they may have married there. Joy's maiden name was reportedly Roeda, but no one by this name appears in 1920 or 1930 census records, though there are a few people with this surname reported.
Kilstrom's full name is proved by the 1930 Federal census of Chicago, IL, the Cook County, Illinois Birth Certificate Index, 1871-1922 FHL Film #1379146, and by the Cook County, Illinois Birth Index 1916-1935, File #6055470. When contacted for information about the attendance of Kenneth Kilstrom at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), the Assistant Director of Records and Registration replied: "Kenneth Harold Kilstrom attended SAIC from 1943 to 1944 but did not graduate."
Kilstrom gave his address as 6957 Riverside Drive, Berwyn, Illinois in his SAIC registration records. This is the same address that Harold Robert Kilstrom reported on his WWII Draft Registration Card. Kilstrom's SAIC registration records and Chicago birth records prove that the Social Security Death Index incorrectly reports Kenneth's birthday as 29 December.
A large number of works by Kilstrom appeared on ebay around 2009. These paintings all bear the monogram "HKK". Since Kilstrom perhaps more commonly signed "Kilstrom" or "Kenneth Kilstrom" at some point in his life, this raised questions about his use of this monogram. When asked about the origin of these works, the seller provided the following
response:
"We bought Kilstrom's entire estate from the city of New York
when he died. ALL the pieces were signed HKK. There were
graphics that had his full name. I had an art professor buying
some of his pieces, who knew the artist and confirmed they were
all by him. We have sold over 150 paintings by Kilstrom on eBay
over the past 2 years all were authentic and painted by
Kilstrom."
Kenneth Kilstrom died on 11 May 1995 in New York City. Joy Kilstrom died 16 November 1988 in New York City.
Researched, written and submitted by Kevin Daniel, University of Illinois graduate student of Library and Information Science with a focus on art Cataloging.
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This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| Kenneth Kilstrom was born in Chicago Illinois, December 29,1922. He attended the University of Illinois (1940-1942), majoring in liberal arts; the Art Institute of Chicago (1942-1944), majoring in painting; the Canterbury School of Drama; and the Goodman School of Drama for theater arts (1944-1945).
Kilstrom was awarded a scholarship for art to Cooper Union in New York City and moved there in 1945. He attended the school briefly and was offered a job as an apprentice with sculptor, Isamu Noguchi (1945-1947). During the time in which Kilstrom had worked with Noguchi, he did set design for Martha Graham. He also studied musical composition with Meyer Kupferman and percussion with the Francisca Boaz dance group. In 1947 Kilstrom joined Stanley Hayter's Atelier 17, NYC, which was only two blocks from where he lived.
During the years he worked there learning the art of printmaking (1947-1950), he had become friendly with many artists from the area. Kilstrom had won awards and purchase prizes for his etchings, and he also had the chance to show his works in major venues. During past and present Kilstrom was also very active in oil painting.
Living in New York City, Kilstrom was in the midst of the new movement of painting among the now called New York School. He would attend Robert Motherwell's "Subjects of the Artist" discussions, and he was very interested in the style and reflected that in his printmaking. During and after his years at Atelier 17 he was still painting; however his paintings were more figural and primitive compared to the abstract expressionistic style of the era.
In the very early 1950's Kilstrom was committed to a psychiatric hospital for reasons not exactly known. He was married to Joy Roeda, who would bring him his art supplies for painting. In 1961 Kilstrom had his first one-man show at the Tanager Gallery in NYC (paintings), and it was a success. Shortly after that he was released from the hospital and did several one man and group shows to follow.
Private collections: Rockefeller, Rosenwald, Miro, Walter Gutman,Thomas Hess, Hirshhorn, Allen Tate and probably others.
Prizes: Philadelphia Print Club, Seattle Print Club, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Museum
Kenneth Kilstrom died in 1995 in New York City.
Submitted by Tony Conrad who credits:
Roswell Museum
Archives of American art (Fischback Gallery archives)
Gallery 2 (Rockville MD) Robert Frasche
MOMA (NYC) library Atelier 17 papers
BOOK : "Out of the Picture, Milton Resnick and the New York School"
Reviews from the New York Post & The New York Times
ARTnews reviews (10/61 & 3/63)
various other sources
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| ** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@AskART.com. |
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