a) I made my first serious drawings around the age of 18, prior to this I drew only occasionally.
q)How did you come to the realization that you should try your luck at art on a more serious level?
a) Well, I always knew that sooner or later I would have to start getting serious about it, ever since seeing an exhibition of James Gleeson's work when I was about 11, I may be sentimentalizing that moment and placing greater significance on it now, however, I do believe the need to eventually start making images has always been in the back of my mind.
q)How did you discover the particular style that you have?
a) Well I think it's obvious I have combined elements from many different sources, this cannot be helped, I just do what pleases me in this respect. There is though, a certain look of decay and a particular set of colours which I use that simply work well for me, and when I stray from these elements I find that the work often fails.
q)How would you describe your style?
a) A combination of elements that please my eye.
q)Who or what influences your art?
a) I am influenced primarily by painters, in the formal sense, and conceptually by the interminable chatter inside my own brain, this is where ideas come from, although I acknowledge boredom as a valuable influence upon my motivation to want to make art to begin with.
q)How often do you create a new piece?
a) Because I have to fabricate every individual piece, and due to my obsession with detail, I am unable to put out a new work as often as I would like, however I am hoping this will change when I get settled into a new studio space and I am able to develop a more solid routine.
q)What kind of success have you had with your art?
a) Well, I have only recently 'exhibited' images of my work on-line after spending many years working in a kind of vacuum. I wanted to gauge other peoples reactions and to test whether or not I was deluding myself. The responses have been pretty positive though, which has been encouraging, as has the interest expressed by a few established artist whom I admire very much.
q)What would be the ultimate goal for you and your art?
a) I would simply like to improve on the level of craftsmanship and also to produce larger and more detailed works. Conceptually, I know I need some as yet unspecified idea to manifest, although I realize this can only be achieved through the process of working.
q)What do you see as an accomplishment in the way of art?
a) What I consider an accomplishment, with all art, is when it alleviates the boredom and monotony of life, and helps to provide the visual equivalent of a good meal, I suppose living amongst the suburban sprawl has left me with a desire to find a richer alternative to the retinal bread and water I am so used to.
q)What kind of message, if any, do you try to convey through your art?
a) I do not try and convey any message at all and I instinctively recoil from most art that does. I am interested however, in sort of devolving, deforming, disfiguring, deranging and destroying the human form, and perhaps eventually dissolving it, to see if there is anything of any substance there, quivering in the ooze at the end of the line.
a)I always loved to draw as a kid but it got pretty serious in 2001...
q)How did you come to the realization that you should try your luck at art on a more serious level?
a)Well... at first I was just trying to enjoy the artist's life... but when you get into art, you begin to realize that it is a vocation, much like priesthood for catholics... you might not make it, but if it is your calling then it is a purpose that needs to be served... at least I enjoy it..
q)How did you discover the particular style that you have?
a)it just came to me... by influence I guess...
q)How would you describe your style?
a)It's a figurative depiction of emotions i hold inside... rendered with marshmallow palettes and drawn as best as I could... whew... that question is really hard....
q)Who or what influences your art?
a)Fairy tales... Alice in wonderland... Peter Pan and stuff like that... cartoons... children... rainbows... clouds... stars... pretty things and bad things mad... juxtapoz... heavy metal... filipino comics... everything
q)How often do you create a new piece?
a)I only work on paintings when I am in the mood that is usually always or when I need to make one for a show. I have a day job as a graphic designer and could only work on paintings during the wee hours when everyone else sleeps...I could stay 3 days without sleep when working on a piece then sleep the whole weekend...
q)What kind of success have you had with your art?
a)I could never consider myself successful... it still is a long road and I can't put success atop my head... i've done pretty much a number of group shows, a few with my friends at ism community in O.C.... had my first solo exhibit last September 08... nothing really big
q)What would be the ultimate goal for you and your art?
a)That people would appreciate them...and feel them...
q)What do you see as an accomplishment in the way of art?
a)Recognition would be good... shows abroad... good artist friends... it's hard to think of accomplishments especially for artists like me who are in the wrong side of the planet... the Philippines is a poor country with rich talents... the market for art here is limited only to big names and I don't think i'm one of them
q)What kind of message, if any, do you try to convey through your art?
a)My life... a lot of my art is based on myself, that way I stay genuine with it... my struggles in life and the people I meet are my subjects... I often put commentaries in my figures... but the most important message is the feeling and emotion I am reflecting towards my viewers...
q)Sum up your art in one word.
a)U-duh!
q)Any additional comments?
a)Keep growing and stay true love art as much as you love yourself and wherever your art takes you stay rooted... thanks and much love from manila, Philippines...
q) Let’s start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?
a)Ben Heine. I live in Brussels, Belgium and I’m 25 year old.
q) Do you have any formal training?
a)I studied journalism in Brussels during 4 years. I studied arts in a school in Hastings (England) during 1 year (painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, multimedia, history of art…). And I studied 6 months Technologies of Information and Communication in Utrecht (Holland). I also studied Slavic languages, history and culture (Polish and Russian) during 2 years. In art, I believe I’m mainly a passionate, open-minded and perseverant autodidact, ha ha! I did learn a few techniques when I personally met great masters such as Sebastian Kruger, Jan Op De Beeck, Marcin Bondarowicz and others. I think making mistakes and work hard to not make them again is the best teaching ever. I consider that motivation comes from inside an individual at 80%, the rest comes from outside. I’m an optimistic and curious person, I’m always amazed, even scared to see all the things I still have to and want to learn and discover and all the people I have to and want to meet.
q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?
a)I was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, a beautiful, warm and colourful country in the West of Africa. I lived there all my early childhood, until 7. It definitely had a huge impact on the way I see my environment and the way I interact with people now. Of course, such an experience also influenced the way I draw and represent things on paper or on canvas. I think this past life helps me now to find different sources of inspiration, in unexplored universes. Sometimes, I’ve the impression to have no particular identity, to not be fully connected to this world, to have no precise roots and, in a way, to be a privileged “observer” of what’s going on around me. Like so many other artists, I’m a person who likes to produce things, it’s almost vital. Furthermore, due to the fact that a significant part of my creations has a political substance, I perceive this function as a heavy responsibility to bear. Even if I have lots of pleasure doing what I’m doing, I have the strong feeling that it’s a duty, that I must use this special sensibility, my freedom of expression and my will to share my opinions and sentiments in a graphic way. We’re all here on hearth for a short time. I’m convinced every one of us should do their best to know the place they live better, to have more sincere and simple relationships with other people and cultures, and to use what god has given them to promote peace and fight against oppression, discrimination, racism or violence.
q) How do you come up with your concepts?
a)Many concepts come to me when there is a conflict between my personal judgment of a situation and reality, may it be political or not. When I have no clear ideas on something, reading is one of my methods to fill my brain with new elements and information. It usually works well, but it’s a long process. When I make political creations, I usually consult several articles related to the subject I want to illustrate. Writers every so often use impressive and gorgeous metaphors. I try to illustrate them.When I make portraits, I read several biographies of the concerned persons; I try to know them as much as possible so that the representation fits their personality. For non political works, I just listen to my soul, my feelings and do anything as long as it relieves me completely. When the idea is found (this is often the longest step!), I start to draw and develop it, this is more technique.Some precious ideas and concepts often come suddenly in incongruous moments. It happens at night, when making a jogging, when talking to a friend, when hearing something strange at the radio, when seeing something never seen before.It depends also on the mood I have and on what my intentions are. The fact to live and learn new things is definitely something that generates concepts in my mind.
q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call them?
a)“Politico, fantastico, poetico, erotico, satirico, conceptual creations.”It’s difficult to answer in one sentence to this question, because I’ve made paintings, sculptures, political cartoons, illustrations, portraits, caricatures, collages, photos, calligraphy, poems, etc.I think we could simply call my recent graphic productions “cartoons”. Most of them are political images and intend to convey clear messages on current issues. With my experience in painting, I tend now to make illustrations, often surrealistic ones.
q) What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?
a)I’d like to make totally digital graphic works. I find it very clean. I just started to retouch photos recently under a fake name: “Hubert Lebizay”. Ha ha, this is just a diversion and a challenge anyway, but I’m spending more and more time on this. Seriously, I intend to come back to traditional painting in the forthcoming months, watercolour and acrylic, more precisely. I like the uncontrolled “happy happenings” that aquarelle creates and the high precision that is possible with acrylic. Both mediums are magical. I hope to be able to get more textures and accuracy with these techniques. I might even add collages to this. I’m sure a large number of my future creations will still have a political connotation. You know, this is the “duty” I was talking about… But they will certainly be about issues that concern us all, such as Global Warming…
q) What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?
a)I guess the environment has a tangible effect on mood. I usually work when I can due to lack of time. It can be at any moment in the day. Ideally, the period which is the most favourable to make things that require heavy concentration is in the afternoon while my best moment to be imaginative, escape in other dimensions and find original ideas and concepts is definitely either late in the evening or at night, when everything around is quite and seems far away. In prosperous moments, when my mind is full of ideas, I write or draw them quickly on paper, before I forget them the next day. I come back to these little sketches weeks, months or even years after.
q) What are your artistic influences? And …generally who or what influences you the most?
a)I’m influenced by everything. In the art galaxy, the movements that influenced me the most are the German Expressionism, Belgian Surrealism and American Pop Art. My close and personal environment is a source of artistic creativity too. More recently, my main source of inspiration has been the international news... But I hope to be able to make timeless creations again, in a traditional way as I explained on question 6.
q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?
a)Many ! Some that I have in mind : Sebastian Kruger, Banksy, Plantu, Hadi Heidari, Marcin Bondarowicz, Dusso, Pawel Kuczynski, Erdogan Karayel, Carlos Latuff, Bendib, Ares, Angel Boligan, Alessandro Gatto, Ajubel, Naji Al Ali, Juan Kalvellido, Glenn Ferguson, Elliott Erwitt, Robert Doisneau, Alexander Rodchenko, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, Brassai Gilad Benari, Denis Olivier, Hieronymus Bosch, René Magritte, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Otto Dix, Andy Warhol, Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel
q) What is your next project? Exhibition? Collaboration?
a)My cartoon “Facebook Vs Myspace” will be published in the German version of “Rolling Stone” and I currently have an exhibition in a Belgian pub called “Le Courant d’Air”.
q) What are your plans for the future?
a)Have a family and keep being creative.
q) Are there some web sites that you would like to recommend? Artists, art communities, xxx...
a)Although I chose graphic art to express myself, I’m convinced that music is the supreme art. It penetrates people in a much more powerful and universal way than any other form of artistic expression. I used to love songs only for their lyrics. Now, I tend to appreciate more musical melodies and rhythms, without any words. Any kind of melodies and rhythms, from classic to electro house. True talents can be found in any style.
q) Do you collect anything? If so what?
a)I’m not really a collector. What I collect the most are happy memories…
q) What do you do for fun?
a)I dance rock ‘n’ roll.
q) Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?
a)I would tell them to be themselves, to keep being creative, dynamic and prolific whatever happens, to be original, unconventional and not afraid to stir up old principles, to make artworks that have a strong meaning and force people to think or see the world in a different angle, to cherish noble values, to believe in genuine peace and democracy, to be a reflection of the society they live in and to not lose their own ideals....
a)I live and work on the east side of New York City
q)What is your creative process like?
a)My creative process always begins with observing the places and the people around me. Occasionally I'll jot down an idea I have for a painting immediately after I see something, but most times not. What seems to happen the most is while I'm working on something else or browsing the internet I'll see something that will trigger a memory from before and I'll do a loose sketch to get the idea out and then develop it further once I have the time.
I am a very firm believer in source material and I really thinks this stems from my classical training in school of good basic drawing. I sometimes spend hours gathering references for a piece before I really sit down to work up the sketch. For most of my paintings I will start with a tight sketch, of course some things will vary as I go along but I really enjoy the planning phase and then executing that plan. Whenever I draw something I always attempt to be as accurate as possible, even though it's translated into my style. For me it's all about the details. I've found over the years that these small accuracies are really what can bring a piece to life.
q)What is your favorite medium?
a)My favorite medium is acrylic paint / latex house paint. I use both in my works, usually working with house paint for the larger areas. Acrylic allows me the fast drying time, flat areas of color that I love so much and the glossy plastic feel.
While acrylic is the base of my paintings all of my black line is executed with a brush and ink. The fluidity and opacity of ink for me is unparalleled, which is also hugely important for me. When I make a brush stroke in the final stages of a piece I usually only have one shot to make it right.
q)What is your current favorite subject?
a)My favorite subject matter in my work is and always has been people. I really strive in my work to capture individual personalities and humor that develops within situations that come about in everyday life. My work is also always very much a product of my environment, so I love capturing elements that speak to the times we live in right now.
Recently in some of my new paintings I've also been focusing on light and energy. Walking home late at night from the bars through the city inspired this current exploration. It deals with raw emotion, and tries to capture the different energy that the city takes on late at night.
q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?
a)The time I spend on a piece really varies depending on complexity and how much time goes into the planning beforehand for a piece. I would say that it ranges anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. I usually don't work on one piece for more than a month, but lately I've been leaving some pieces unfinished and then revisiting them. I don't really like to do this though, for some reason I feel it breaks up my order a little bit. Usually I like to finish what I started before starting the next.
q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
a)My biggest accomplishment has been being a full-time artist for the past 3 years. Since I've finished up my studies I haven't had to work a 9 to 5 day job. It's been many late nights and weekends of working, but very much worth the rewards. It's allowed me to move forward and progress in my work at a rate that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?
a)I spend quite a bit of time looking at art and these artists are all doing exciting things right now. Josh Keyes is doing really cool work. His renderings and technical ability is just very nice, I love looking at his work. Merijn Hos /BFREE's work has got great spontaneity and energy. He keeps it fun which is what I really love. Shag has been a favorite for a long time, the paintings have such a nice feel to them in person that just isn't there on a computer screen. I sympathize with that as I feel the same thing happens with my work on a screen. Matthew Feyld's paintings have such a wonderful eerie quality and of course I love his flat color. Richard Coleman is also doing great things with patterns which I'm very into. Keegan McHargue is painting some really wonderful stuff, I enjoy his work a lot as well.
q)Can we buy your art anywhere?
a)Yes, new pieces will be available in February at Recoat Gallery in Glasgow. I also sell direct, most all work on my site is current and available. Shoot me an email if you're interested in anything. Also if you're in New York and would like to stop by and look at pieces in person, please get in touch!.
q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??
a)When I'm not working I love to cook! Cooking for me has become an outlet, a time when I can really focus on a result and get my mind off of work. Food is also a very common bond that we all share, there is hardly anyone that doesn't appreciate a good meal. In that sense I love how cooking and food brings people together.
I work in a very solitary environment, so getting together to eat with friends and family is always a welcomed pleasure.
q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
a)From my experience I first needed to work, work, work until I felt my body of work as a whole was where I wanted it to be. I can't tell you how many times I've felt "OK this is getting there, I'm in a good place". If I look back at the work 4 months from now I'll say to myself, "What was I thinking?" I need to go back and pull pieces out. I think that's just part of being an artist, never quite being satisfied.
My soundest words of advice I think are: 1.) Show people the good stuff along the way, you can't just lock yourself in a hole. 2.) If you think you can't work any harder, you can. I tell myself this almost every day.3.) Be extremely persistent. Some people are going to hate what you are doing, they will talk down to you. It happens, don't let it slow you down. 4.) The most important one is get your work in front of as many people as possible. Get in touch with people, show them what you are up to. This is when things happen! 5.) Be cool! Nobody likes an asshole.
q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
a)Personal goals that I am constantly setting for myself always seem to keep me on track. When I'm feeling really frustrated I think of those and keep on pushing. The most important thing I think is to work through these slumps and not stop making work. I'll often try and see some exciting new work someone else is doing and this usually puts the fire back in me!
q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?
a)I would describe my work as brightly colored figurative paintings, painted very flat in acrylic on birch panel.
q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
a)I did 4 years of art school at the Rhode Island School of Design earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts which undoubtedly helped spur my development. I think one of the skills that school really help me develop and push to the next level was raw draftsmanship. Pencil and charcoal drawing from life. Drawing what you see. The first year of school no matter what your major was to be, everyone was forced to take the same core classes. This entailed drawing from models for 9 hours a day
I have been painting and creating for as long as I can remember. Growing up art was always my focus, and being a painter now is truly a goal that I've worked and continue to work very hard to achieve.
q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
a)Well recently I've become very attached to painting with pure red sable brushes. They handle the paint differently than synthetics and make for such a nice painting experience.
q)Who are your influences?
a)My influences are a bit all over the place. One of my early influences that helped shape my style is Jim Davis who does Garfield. Growing up I always loved the way he drew, and his color. Matisse has also been an influence on me, I was exposed to his paintings at an early age and they've always fascinated me. Renaissance painting has also influenced me quite a bit, I've spent quite a bit of time traveling throughout Italy studying the old masters. I gained so much from studying it all and seeing the techniques and subject matter in person. It's quite a humbling experience.
q)What inspires you to create?
a)My inspiration to create comes from within. I love telling a good story, having a good laugh. These are the things that keep me creating, because in my paintings I'm doing just that. The drive to tell my own story in a bold colorful language that is all my own keeps me on my toes and forever inspired!
a)Ideas usually come to me when I am not trying hard to find them. Something flashes in my brain, and then I spend the next two months trying to give it physicality.
q)What is your favorite medium?
a)Anything that is time consuming and laborious. I like getting lost in a really long project that takes a lot of repetition. I probably should have worked in a factory.
q)What is your current favorite subject?
a)Last year I had a solo show in Brooklyn called "good girl." That is well out of my system, and now I am focusing on naughty girls. Even though I paint my friends, my paintings are for the most part some sort of self portrait.
q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?
a)A month if I am really going for it. Usually two months... The frames can take a long time to make.
q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
a)I really like being able to eat and live off of making work.
q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?
a)I would love to do a two-man show with Kehinde Wiley. He takes black youths from the street and sets them in renaissance paintings; I do the same with sorority girls. And I really like Dana Schutz. She is also from Michigan.
q)Can we buy your art anywhere?
a)Through my website, and at various galleries- Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco, Jack the Pelican Presents in Brooklyn, DFN Gallery in Chelsea (NY), Blue Gallery in Kansas City, Woom Gallery in Birmingham, UK
q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??
a)Well, I always feel exposed when I put a piece out into the world, as I think they reveal dirty secrets about myself. So I guess its all out there.
q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
a) Don't expect miracles. This is a very slow game which takes a whole lot of time to establish anything. Thats bright and sunny advice isn't it?
q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
a)Jesus. NO just kidding. Im not sure. I like the challenge, so frustration is also another way of saying problem solving.
q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?
a)I am always surprised about what I come up with when I get that question. Figurative. And then I take a big gulp of my drink and change the subject.
q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
a)I went to University of Michigan School of Art, but I partied my way through college. I got serious after, and I have assisted numerous other artists in there work and have learned from them. A man named Gary Kuehn (www.garykuehn.net) has had a major influence on my work.
q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
a)Styrofoam! The kind they use to insulate houses. Its great for carving and sanding. And it takes epoxy really well.
q)Who are your influences?
a)Well, Gary Kuehn (from above), walking through the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ingres, Rubens, Francis Bacon, Peter Blake, Christian Schad, Gustav Klimt, Egon Scheile...
q)What inspires you to create?
a)A good movie, a good book, a road trip, but for the most part working hard inspires more working.
a)I am living in Mallorca (Balearic islands), but i think it’s gonna be only for a temporarily period of time. I have lived in Barcelona for eight years and i also spent 6 months in Baltimore. So i am one of those who like changes and my work depends on where i’m living. I think it’s very interesting when the place you’re living in takes a part of you and influence your work.
q)What is your creative process like?
a)I use to go around with a little sketchbook where i make drawings. Some of them are rough and just quick ideas, but others are more delicated and maybe later i’ll be able to use them directly from the sketchbook or as a point where i can start something. Under my point of view, this kind of drawings means no other thing but reflections. Some of them will be the beginning of a project, but some others will be just there in the sketchbook and you never know if you’ll use them anymore. Other times, i have a quick and fresh idea and i go straightly with the job. So this sketching exercise provides my work with my own experiences and i find it very important. I mean you can use your sketchbook in a party or you can use it in a boat. Whatever.
q)What is your favorite medium?
a)I like colour pencils a lot, but i don’t have any favourite medium cause i am opened to the experimentation. I also like to work with acrylic, but like i said, i believe in the experimentation in practically all the fields as a beginning of a line.
q)What is your current favorite subject?
a)Well, i don’t have a “favourite”one, i just like to reflect about daily stuff. You know, the things that have always been thought by people who reflect. I try not to separate my live experience from my drawings and sometimes it gives them a surrealistic nature cause my real live interacts with a fiction live. I think it’s very important to have a good sense of humor to understand my work.
q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?
a)It depends. Sometimes I go really fast but other times I am slower…
q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
a)I don’t know. Probably when i decided to go to Baltimore and then just let it flow, cause it opened my mind and it was a graphic liberation for me. Since that i make desicions faster when i work. I ‘ve been awarded a few times, so i think that’s important too.
q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?
a)Yes, there’s a lot of them. Too many to write it down… They come from different disciplines too…
q)Can we buy your art anywhere?
a)I am thinking on do that in my blog. I will give it a new face pretty soon so I’ll probably add a section to buy stuff like original paintings on wood or canvas, reproductions of my work as postcards for example, t-shirts, independent zines... Now, you can do it if you mail me.
q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??
a)mmm…no. Well, about what?
q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
a)I think to work. Even if you’re not in a good mood, just keep on something. Nobody has to wait for inmediate results in their work.
q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
a)I don’t know. Probably just hang out with friends or take a look to their new work. I can buy a comic and enjoy it. I also enjoy talking about interesting things and reading. Listening music...Or just working again on something...Some of these things can launch you.
q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?
a)Well, i am working on lots of projects right now and i’ve got to make my blogsite a better place, with recent works and all that stuff, but if a have to describe it, i would say people will notice i have different ways to communicate things. It depends on the assignment. And as i said, it’s basic to have a good sense of humor to understand my work. Not to take live too seriously.
q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
a)People who gave me the most important advices were Arnal Ballester (Escola Massana, Barcelona) and Alain corbel ( M.I.C.A., Baltimore MD ) . So I think that’s why I consider them my menthors. There was a time when I was in the Architecture School of Barcelona (E.T.S.A.B.) and I learned a lot there. I learned how to look at things, to tune my eyes. I also had this kind of self-taught training in some ways…
q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
a)I wouldn’t be able to imagine a world without something to draw.
q)Who are your influences?
a)Too many
q)What inspires you to create?
a)It depends. Could be a movie, a book or just an idea that you spend time reflecting on… Inspiration it’s fanciful.
