Mar 22, 2017
I’ll have some new video/animation work in this group show in Richmond, VA at 1708 Gallery and I’m playing a show with Blues Control. I designed this poster for the show.
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I’ll have some new video/animation work in this group show in Richmond, VA at 1708 Gallery and I’m playing a show with Blues Control. I designed this poster for the show.
Jack — Ben Durham, 2012
Ben Durham's recent solo show at New York's Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery featured a series of very large graphite drawings, each photo realistically rendered on handmade paper. Nothing very out of the ordinary about that, right? There are tons of people who have mastered the art of graphite portraiture. But these portraits were just a little bit... different.
The source of Durham's portraits were mugshots. Mugshots of former classmates.
Mugshots, of course, are easily obtained as public records, which is how Durham located his source material, merely searching arrest records and finding booking photos of childhood friends and acquaintances from which he could base his drawings. Moreover, fair use provides for the reproduction of copyrighted material (i.e. the mugshot photo) for purposes of "news reporting" and since all arrests are in the public domain... Durham's drawings are, effectively, reporting the news.
Ah! But the story does not simply end there!
Close inspection of Durham's work reveals a bit more than simple lines on paper. Each portrait is actually drawn by the rendering of word, statements, and memories that the artist recalls about knowing that particular person, overlaying words atop words until they can barely be discerned, giving depth, light, and shading to each face.
Jack (detailed view)
Performance tonight!
It may not be great weather, but I hope you've made plans to stop by the gallery from 6-8 to come see Ben Durham and Robert Beatty perform Heather (dictated text)!
Robert Beatty and Ben Durham
May 11th, 6-8pm
Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery
Artist and musician Robert Beatty will be collaborating with Ben Durham for a performance at NKG next week, come down and check it out!
Ben Durham