Ben

Key facts

Born

1935^[3]

Wikipedia

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• What is Ben known for?+

  Ben is known for living in a London shop window for two weeks during the 1962 Festival of Misfits. He ate, slept, and groomed himself in public view while the glass bore his scrawled script demanding passers-by to 'look' and 'stop looking.'
• What is Ben's most famous work?+

  Determining Ben's single 'most famous work' is challenging, as fame is subjective and fluctuates. However, one way to approach the question is to look at works identified by experts as the 'greatest'. In 1985, a panel of art experts for the *Illustrated London News* attempted to do just that. They judged Diego Velázquez's painting *Las Meninas* as 'by far the greatest work of art by a human being'. The panel also listed runners-up, including Johannes Vermeer's *View of Delft*, Sandro Botticelli's *La Primavera*, and Rembrandt van Rijn's *The Return of the Prodigal Son*. Other works in the top ten included *The Tempest* by Giorgione, *The Resurrection* by Piero della Francesca, *The Burial of the Count Orgaz* by El Greco, *The Lamentation* by Giotto, *The Isenheim Altarpiece* by Matthias Grünewald, and *Guernica* by Pablo Picasso.
• What should I know about Ben's prints?+

  When assessing a print, there are several factors to consider. An "original print" is conceived as a print, executed solely as a print, and usually issued in a numbered edition signed by the artist. Each impression in the edition is an original, printed from a plate, stone, screen, block, or other matrix created for that purpose. Each print is individually inked and pulled; it is a multi-original medium. The artist decides the number of prints in the edition. The numbering provides an accounting for the number of prints in the edition; each print has a specific number (for example, 12/25 means the edition is 25, and the particular print is number 12). Early prints were not numbered or signed; in some cases, the artist might have signed the plate or stone itself, with no pencilled signature on each print. Edition claims are typically written as a pair of numbers on the left bottom margin of the print itself. The title of the print is written in the middle of the bottom margin, and the signature is on the right. These descriptions are always signed in pencil. A "vintage print" is a photograph printed around the time that the negative was taken. A "period print" is one made after shooting (up to 10 to 15 years). A "modern print" is a recently printed photograph from the original negative.
• What style or movement did Ben belong to?+

  It is difficult to assign Ben to a single style or movement. Without further context, "Ben" is insufficient information to determine the artist's affiliations. "Ben" is a common short form of the name Benjamin, and many artists share that name. To determine which artistic style or movement "Ben" belonged to, more information is needed, such as a last name, dates, or the titles of specific works. With additional identifying information, it might be possible to place him within a recognised artistic category. For example, if the artist in question is Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846^[3]), he was an English painter known for his historical works. Or, if the artist is the late-20th-century French painter Ben Vautier, he was associated with the Fluxus movement.
• What techniques or materials did Ben use?+

  Ben primed cotton duck canvas with two coats of turps-thinned Flake White, sanding the surface when dry. For colour application, standard artist's oil paint was mixed with a medium of wax and turpentine. The medium was kept warm on a hot plate, and small amounts were mixed with the paint by brush just before application to the canvas. The mixture was applied to the canvas with a brush and worked over so the medium and paint thoroughly mixed and evenly covered the shape. The paint was then worked with a large painting spatula and a small painting knife until it reached a satisfactory state. Ben tried to keep the surfaces in one painting constant and total. Variables included extensive heating of the medium, which resulted in some evaporation, making the paint gummy and softer. Leftover paint, with wax added, was often used in mixing subsequent colours. Oil remained the primary binder, as opposed to encaustic, where wax is the binder.
• What was Ben known for?+

  Ben was known for his association with the Fluxus movement, beginning in 1963. He met the Korean artist Nam June Paik, as well as George Maciunas, and started exhibiting his own performance pieces. In addition to these 'actions', he produced sketches and plastic works, and he designed objects and environments. The symbolism in Ben's work often came from magical, religious, mythical, and archetypal contexts, along with personal experience. For example, his idea of felt as insulation against the cold, and fat as a source of energy, came from his own life. This represented a closeness to nature, which he felt was lost in contemporary culture. Ben also advocated creativity in all aspects of life; this led to his attempts to gain political influence.
• When did Ben live and work?+

  Ben Nicholson was born on 10 April 1894, in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. Both of his parents were painters. He attended the Slade School of Fine Art, London, in 1910-11. Between 1911 and 1914, he travelled in France, Italy, and Spain. He briefly lived in Pasadena in 1917-18. His first solo show occurred at the Adelphi Gallery, London, in 1922. Shortly thereafter, he began abstract paintings influenced by Synthetic Cubism. By 1927, he had initiated a primitive style inspired by Rousseau and early English folk art. From 1931, Nicholson lived in London; his association with Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth dates from this period. In 1932, he and Hepworth visited Brancusi, Arp, Braque, and Picasso in France. Nicholson moved to Ticino, Switzerland, in 1958 and began to concentrate once more on painted reliefs. In 1964, he made a concrete wall relief for the Doamioita 111 exhibition in Kassel, Germany. Queen Elizabeth awarded him the Order of Merit in 1968. Ben Nicholson returned to England in 1972, settling first in Cambridge and later in Hampstead. He died on 6 February 1982.
• Where can I see Ben's work?+

  Works by Ben can be found in several museums internationally. In the United States, you can view Ben's art at the Art Institute of Chicago; the Field Museum, Chicago; the High Museum, Atlanta; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Shift Field Museum, Chicago; the Textile Museum, George Washington University, Washington DC; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond; and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University, Miami Beach. In Canada, Ben's pieces are held at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. Within the United Kingdom, visit the Bakelite Museum, Williton; Brighton Museum & Art Gallery; the Burrell Collection, Glasgow; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Geffrye Museum, London; Jersey Museum and Art Gallery, St Helier; Leeds City Art Gallery; Manchester Art Gallery; the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh; the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff; the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh; Towneley Hall Art Gallery, Burnley; or the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Other locations include the Beaux-Arts Museum of Arras, France; the Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin; the Kunsthaus Zurich; the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; the Museo Egizio, Turin; the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; and the St Gallen Textilmuseum, Switzerland.
• Who did Ben influence?+

  Identifying artistic influence is complex. Claims of direct influence are difficult to prove, as artists may not be conscious of those who inspire them. Some historical figures believed true artists were never influenced, but this is not a helpful idea to those who wish to overcome it. Originality can be seen as a unique combination of multiple influences. Painters are bound to be involved in painting; old and new are just one thing. De Kooning proposed that contemporary artists keep influencing the old masters. He claimed Courbet as a point of reference: his painting is not tradition or nature or style, but there it is. Courbet's importance to subsequent generations can be observed visually. His style resonates with artists working in an abstract mode. A key instance is Cezanne's Bridge at Maincy, which invokes Courbet's Shaded Stream. In other cases, connections to Courbet are rooted in technique, notably his use of the palette knife and his physical manner of painting.
• Who influenced Ben?+

  Ben drew influence from a range of sources, both artistic and natural. He acknowledged the impact of artists such as Lahey, Sloan, Matulka, and Graham. He also mentioned Davis, citing conversations over ale and coffee, and Davis's enthusiasm for Pine Top Smith. Beyond specific artists, Ben found inspiration in the natural world. He observed the movement of swallows, the way trees fall, and the shapes of rocks. The colour of a dry doe, the growth of bark, and the anatomy of turtles all provided creative stimulus. Even memories, such as the taste of turtle soup, played a role. Ben also found inspiration in the everyday, such as the patterns in the rafters of workshops, stacks of materials, and the tools used to shape them. The memory of places, such as 1 Atlantic Avenue, also contributed to his artistic vision.
• Who was Ben?+

  Ben Vautier was born in Naples in 1935^[3] to a Swiss father and an Irish mother. He grew up across Turkey, Egypt, and Greece before settling in Nice in 1949.
• Why are Ben's works important today?+

  Ben's work has importance because it speaks to cultural exchange, colonialism, and identity. His participation in the First International Congress of Black Writers and Artists in Paris (1956) demonstrates his engagement with global dialogues around African art. At the conference, he presented "Problems of the African Artist Today". He challenged the authority of non-African critics and addressed the "humiliations" Africans experienced under colonial rule. Ben's artistic choices reflect a desire to find alternatives using time and space, remote places, and large-scale projects. He rethinks the art object, finding inspiration from similar ideas. His work invites reflection on communal and social diversities, as well as connectivities. His pieces also touch on the economic and cultural restructuring of world cities. Ben's art can be seen in the context of globalisation and cultural mixing. His work also participates in the questioning of traditional frontiers and hierarchies between forms of artistic expression.