COASTALS
BEN BJÖRK
14 NOVEMBER–1 December
Coastals consists of works drawing inspiration from the masters of abstract colour field and action painting, capturing the fluid motion of syrupy liquids and ocean water, and exuding the essence of tropical beaches and crashing surf.
The juxtaposition of cool blues against fiery reds and yellows evokes the contrast of cool water on hot surfaces, offering a sensory experience reminiscent of a summer heatwave; the symbiotic dance between coolness and heat akin to an icy-pole melting onto concrete, or an infinity pool filling up with lava.
Ben is a visual artist whose work consists predominantly of large-scale, abstract colour-field paintings. These pieces are created using mark-making techniques that combine oils, acrylic house paints, dyes, glue, wax, bleach and other solvents. The paint is applied using dying techniques, squeegees, palette knives, paint scrapers, rags, and directly by hand. This creates thick, viscous oceans of psychedelic colours - and within them, hidden worlds that evoke dreams, ghosts and memories. The physicality of how the mixed media is applied combines elements of action painting and process art, invoking abstract expressionism and neo-Dadaism. The resulting fabrics are then stretched, collaged or draped onto other canvases and linens and hung in and around timber frames, often blurring the line between 2D painting and 3D sculpture.
Born in 1980 in Melbourne, Ben studied graphic design, fine art and screenwriting from 1999 – 2008. From 2001 – 2020, he lived and worked in Melbourne. He had his debut exhibition – Radlands, a series of nine large-scale collages – at Bruce Gallery in 2012. He then shifted his focus onto abstract painting and film-making. In 2019, he presented a new series of colour-field paintings at a group show at Five Walls Gallery, Melbourne. Since 2020, he has embraced the coastal lifestyle, living around the Geelong/Djilang and Surf Coast area, which has provided much inspiration and influenced his painting style significantly.