Ben Long (British artist)

Ben Long (born 1978 in Lancaster) is an English contemporary visual artist, known for large-scale public works that use everyday materials such as scaffolding in their construction. He lives and works in London.

Life and work

Long graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2001 where he was taught and influenced by the British artist Darren Lago. His earliest works were loosely associated with the Street Art and Urban Art movement which blossomed at the beginning of the 21st century.[1]

His first series of artworks, collectively titled The Great Travelling Art Exhibition, were graffiti-style temporary drawings executed in the dirt gathered on shutters of haulage trucks.[2][3] These were followed by Scaffolding Sculptures, contemporary monuments constructed from the utilitarian building material. Long claims the purpose of these transient public works is to appeal to "large, diverse audiences, with the bias towards those people who would ordinarily have little or no involvement with contemporary visual art."[4]

In 2002 The Great Travelling Art Exhibition was shortlisted for the Pizza Express Prospects contemporary drawing prize. Because these artworks were on the back of trucks, Long submitted videos of himself making the drawings and the vehicles filmed being driven around London. [5]

In 2009 the Contemporary Art Society commissioned Horse Scaffolding Sculpture for the Economist Plaza in central London.[6] Later in the same year Long's Brass Bandstand was shortlisted by the Arts Council England for the £500,000 Artists Taking The Lead art commission for the North West region of the UK,[7] the prize being later awarded to Anthony McCall for his Projected Column.[8]

During the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, UP Projects in partnership with Haringey Council commissioned Long to construct Lion Scaffolding Sculpture to coincide with day 68 of the Olympic torch relay. Situated on the grounds of Bruce Castle, a former 16th-century manor house, the 9m tall artwork stood from 25 July until 25 September 2012. Speaking about the series Long has stated that: "With each construction I am basically trying to make a contemporary British monument that reflects the change and evolution that our towns and cities are constantly subjected to."[9]

Solo gallery exhibitions of Long's work include Crown Jewels (2009) and Art Work (2008).

References

  1. ↑ mutualart.com.
  2. ↑ Nikolai Soudek (20 June 2011). "Ben Long: Drawings in Dirt" (webzine). Contour. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  3. ↑ Lori Zimmer (21 May 2012). "Ben Long Etches Beautiful Reverse Graffiti Drawings in Exhaust Grime on Commercial Trucks". Inhabitat.com. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  4. ↑ underspray.com.
  5. ↑ "Art prize eludes van man". BBC News. 22 May 2002. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  6. ↑ contemporaryartsociety.org.
  7. ↑ artiststakingthelead.org.
  8. ↑ artiststakingthelead.org.
  9. ↑ Homersham, Lizzie (11 April 2012). "Ben Long: Moving Landscapes". Topman Generation. Retrieved 18 February 2014.

External links