Sunday 22 February 2009

ben wilson

i'm posting these on behalf of me and lucy, because we both really really like this guy (feel free to add more chewing gum examples though lucy!!) he works in london and has been doing this for quite a while...no specific place, although a few years ago his plan was to start at the top end of High Street in Barnet and work his way to the centre of london. he does all kinds of paintings on the gum, including animals, flowers, faces, cups of tea, and does quite a few special requests or 'in memory of' pieces. and strawberries :] i like it that its so small and almost unnoticable but reallyreally cool at the same time.


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7 comments:

  1. Roddy Hunter22 February 2009 at 22:20

    Thanks Alice and Lucy,

    Fascinating, really. I'm sure he considers himself an artist but wonder how important to him that maybe? Do you know how he thinks of what he does - there's plenty of examples of people habitually perpetrating creative interventions in urban contexts without the context or recognition of art? Is he one? Is he an 'outsider'?

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  2. alice12 March 2009 at 16:37

    i'm pretty sure he does think of it as art, as he's come from an art background. he used to do paintings on billboards and make rubbish-sculptures in the woods, but to be honest, i don't really think it matters that much wether it is considered art or not, once it's in this context, because it will fulfill its function anyhow. i was really quite happy when we decided to get rid of art and artists in the lecture this week, because the terms bring such a lot of baggage with them that just aren't necessary if 'art' is going to turn into everyday creativity. i think this is what ben wilson is doing...although the obsessive side to it probably gives it a whole nother interpretation.

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  3. Charlie Barnes15 March 2009 at 18:13

    thank you alice, i quite agree i would be preferred to think of as a creator or as a creative person, rather than artist. And as for being and outsider, i believe this is also achieved. Wilson's work does not conform to the conventions of space that inside work does and is technically graffiti, so against the establishment but graffiti on top of litter, so perhaps we could argue his work was all to do with support surface or see him as a street cleaner chaning chwing gum into some pleasant to look at? of course that depends on your perspective. but so does the street cleaner, some would say he is a waste of public money some would say he is doing a good job and some would say he should get a 'proper job' ? i was lead to this think through alteration but its semantic has taken a rather more abstract pragmatic ifor me here.

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  4. Charlie Barnes15 March 2009 at 18:14

    sorry about the odd word missed out. write as i speak will check in future.

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  5. Anonymous24 March 2009 at 13:40

    In France we could call his work de l'art modeste

    I really make day-to-day-life-street better

    and Do you know how I could contact ben wilson

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  6. Anonymous24 March 2009 at 13:42

    just a mistake in my last comment :

    I wanted to say "ben wilson make day-to-day-life-street better"

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  7. Roddy Hunter25 March 2009 at 19:54

    Hi anonymous

    Thanks for that: 'l'art modeste'- that's a good notion. I don't know how to contact him. Do you, Alice?

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