075: Ken Harman

Longevity in the art world is something we take for granted, whether it's Juxtapoz at 28 years old or printmakers who perfect their craft for decades. It was refreshing to speak with Spoke Art Gallery and Hashimoto Contemporary's Ken Harman on his 10-year anniversary as a gallery owner, just as he opened a gallery in his third city in America. Now with spaces in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, with a roster of artists that stretches across the world, it's been a busy decade for Harman and his team, and the pandemic only expanded what his gallery reputation means to his collector and artist roster. We sat down with Ken to talk about that relationship with his artists, the growth of company, and how his roots with the Obama art era in 2008 to his Bad Dads-Wes Anderson inspired shows as Spoke Art allowed his to grow as Hashimoto Contemporary. Now that Los Angeles has opened this Fall, Harman told us about the complexities and excitement of running 3 spaces as well as how much his gallery team has empowered the direction of the gallery. With shows recently with Jillian Evelyn, Pat Perry, Joel Daniel Phillips and more, Ken has his finger on the pulse. The Radio Juxtapoz podcast is hosted by FIFTH WALL TV's Doug Gillen and Juxtapoz editor, Evan Pricco. Episode 075 was recorded via Skype in Margate, England and NYC in early October, 2021. Follow us on @radiojuxtapoz