Tributes have been paid to Ken Turnell, a highly-regarded sculptor and artist who grew up in Jarrow and whose large-scale sand drawings transformed North East beaches. Turnell died aged 78 last month in rural southern Portugal, where he had moved in 2016. He is survived by his partner Karen Livingstone and his two children, Tom and Daisy Turnell.
Born in Sheffield in 1948, Turnell moved to the North East as a youngster and attended Jarrow Grammar School in the 1960s, also taking Saturday art classes at Newcastle University. His sand artwork appeared on beaches including Cullercoats Bay, Tynemouth Longsands and King Edward's Bay. He also contributed to the architecture course at East London University, working with architect Zaha Hadid.
Friend and fellow artist Jill Journeaux, Professor of Fine Art at Coventry University, highlighted Turnell's early success. His sculptures were exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery in London, and his work 'The Guardian (of the sculptor) 1976' was acquired by the Arts Council. He was an important figure in establishing Grizedale Sculpture Park in Cumbria, contributing pieces such as 'The Eye 1984', 'Beech Watch, 1978' and 'Sawrey Bank Watch, 1978'.
Later work included the C2C cycle route's art trail and a series of wired mirror sculptures displayed at Leicester Cathedral. Between 2000 and 2016, Turnell created large-scale sand drawings on North East beaches. Journeaux said these drawings 'brought together a love of natural material... observation of the natural world and our primaeval need to mark our moment on the earth, even if it is subsequently erased.'
Journeaux described Turnell as a 'highly regarded and charismatic teacher', remembered by students as 'energetic, curious and enlightening'. His daughter Daisy recalled her father as 'bouncy', always keen to share his artwork and explore the countryside. She said he loved the beach but complained the UK was too cold, leading him to move to Portugal, where he acquired several cats.
