Inside the Mind of an Artist: Ben Gilbert

This week we're stepping away from our usual artist interview format and are instead diving into the creative mind of local artist Ben Gilbert of Crayons and Cardboard. An artist's mind is rarely tidy (so says an anonymous quote), but always expect to be intrigued and inspired.

I'm working on a series of themes the number of which changes on whim. Spam. Portraits of women who appear in my Gmail junk inbox... Key. The Key Bank insignia caught my eye with its sometime weird red glow... Snark. Crazy whimsical things with slightly naughty or impudent titles to keep me from being too snooty.. Mass Media. Mostly movie stills and rarely of major stars or iconic scenes. Instead the subtle gems in the background that look more like real life. Asian portraits... An attempt to break into a foreign market.. No great success there...Animals and plants because it's one of the categories it's good to practice. Landmarks and landscapes for practice. I can do ego stroking pieces but they will cost you 4 times a reg piece...

I live in a state of chaos... A barbarian living on the edge of society... Looking inward... Ignored except when it comes to needing a body... Solitude has its perks... Freedom and anonymity... I'm enjoying sticking to the path of the artist against the advice of the less risk adverse. Riding on the edge of catastrophe... It's all about the ride and actions and reactions. All surfaces are ripe to be drawn on just need to figure out the right substance to use on it... I continually through globs of ideas against a metaphorical wall hoping something will stick... Hasn't happened yet...

Ideas on back burner... Coffee stained clay coasters... Reinforced tin foil hats...

I'm called a Fauvist because of color choices but I like the weird, the shocking, the bizarre, the  "spicy" . flowers are an exercise...bodies are beautiful…

Anyway I'm hoping to improve on creating unsettling creepy profound works... As well as improve my skills in foliage.  

I'll slap the image of anything on anyone for anyone for the right price except for things that are excessively immoral... ( R X  NC 17 images can be made by personal request... I just won't sell them publicly... Send requests discretely...)  It's all shapes and shadows exercises in the end but I won't do anything reactionary... Rainbow flags yes confederate flags no.

Stop by Artistic Portland to see and purchase's Ben's art in person.