Ben Frost (artist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben Frost is an Australian-born visual and performing artist whose work seeks to challenge contemporary norms and values of Western culture and society. Frost’s visual work places common iconic images from advertising, entertainment, and politics into startling juxtapositions that are often confrontational and controversial. Artist's Folio Site
Artist Frost currently lives and works in Sydney and exhibits locally and internationally.
The title 'Ben Frost is Dead' comes from his 2000 solo exhibition of the same name where he faked his own death. Invitations were created in the form of a newspaper funeral notice and distributed nation-wide. Newspapers labelled him 'sick' and his actions 'perverse', when by complete coincidence the invitations went out on the same day a local art patron died.
The collaborative exhibition 'Colossus' with Roderick Bunter in 2000 at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane featured a 12m x 2.4m mural by the artists, called 'Where Do You Want To Go Today?'. Containing controversial imagery including masturbating cartoon characters amongst a pastiche of advertising icons, the work was a statement on society's continuing loss of innocence. In the final week of the exhibition, a disgruntled viewer entered the gallery and slashed one of the paintings with a knife. Police requested the exhibition be closed.
In 2002 he exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney as part of 'Primavera: Young Artists Under 35', where the same painting 'Where do You Want To Go Today?' was exhibited. Police also requested the painting be removed due to public concern.
In 2003 he moved to Tokyo where he contributed as an illustrator to magazines such as Black + White, Blue and Men's Style for over 3 years.
In 2005 he moved to Sydney Australia where he continues to live and work. He has had exhibitions in New York, San Francisco and throughout Europe. In 2007 Frost participated in Tiger Translate in Beijing collaborating with local Chinese artists.
Fury at drug-taking kids painting by Anna Edwards, MX via news.com.au, July 18, - Another of his paintings that made news in 2007
Ben Frost is commonly mistaken for Ben Frost (musician) there are in fact two well known Australian Ben Frosts, to confuse matters more both are of similar age and have collaborated on projects together.
