1. If you weren’t an artist, what else would you be?
If I couldn’t do what I do now I’d definitely be a cook or a gardener. But as a child, I really wanted to grow up to be a spider.
2. Can you tell us more about your work and what are the main ideas you would like to express?
Currently, my work is all hand drawn / hand printed / hand-made illustrations, dealing with contemporary social issues. I am very process driven, heavily experimenting and ‘playing’ with print, often bringing in an element of chance or mistakes or a limitation to force my work into a new direction and seeing how format / media / process etc. can enhance and communicate a message. Ultimately, I delight in making and trying stuff. I love it. I don’t think I’d ever be able to reach a point where I’m satisfied. I’ve exhausted every possibility.
3. How do you start the process of making work?
RESEARCH! Always. This is generally a combination of techniques, I don’t have a fixed strategy for each and every piece but it starts this way. Generally starting off as something as humble as simply asking questions. This will go onto more different research and idea generation techniques taught to me whilst a student. Then I go onto a stage of rough drawing, and stages of presenting these ideas to my peers, members of my target audience, even just anyone for a second opinion. But an honest and brutal opinion about what they don’t like, what doesn’t work so I can go away and improve.
4. Do you consider the viewer, when making your work?
Yes! All the time. Coming from a design informed background and education, the audience is ultimately who I’m working for. As mentioned I regularly involve my target audience/the viewer in my development, showing it to different types of people and asking for criticism to improve upon.
Occasionally I’m given a specific audience to work for, occasionally I have a specific target audience in mind, other times not, but either way serious time is spent in ways of thinking how to engage the audience, what I want them to take from what I do, how they should take it as well as involving them in development. I like to make something that works on a purely visual level, but with real substance behind it.
5. Name 3 artists that have inspired your work?
That said I really like David Shrigley’s work, especially his drawings, I find them really fun and humorous but with something powerful to say behind it. I’ve always liked Alphonse Mucha, seems so ahead of its time and to me is some truly outstanding skills, and a great mix of illustration and design. Even a humble menu looks so well drawn and laid out. I know that’s only two but I feel deciding on a third it would do too much injustice to all the other great practitioners so ill leave that one hanging.
6. Name 3 of your least favourite artists.
Ha! Great question: well people like Justin Beiber are referred to as ‘artists’? What do you think about that?
In terms of specific artists I generally pay little attention to artists I don’t like, I could quite easily bash some of the popular names out there, and there is a lot of toss out there. Quite honestly off the top of my head I couldn’t name 3 I dislike that much for it to be worth mentioning.
7. What defines something as a work of art?
My opinion is that it’s not up to us as individuals to say what something is; it’s for others to decide. Again, my background in design and illustration has taught me that communication and message, amongst other elements, is key and I’m aware art is different to that. In illustration I am visualising another’s message, to me, art would be communicating your own opinions and own voice.
8. In times of austerity, do you think art has a moral obligation to respond topically?
Yes I think it does regardless of austerity. Depends on the aims and beliefs of each artist though, which should be different, variety is good.
9. Anytime, anyplace – which artist’s body would you most like to inhabit?
Ha what an amazing question! Who thought these up?? Perhaps one of the older ones before the technology was available, perhaps someone foreign so I get to see a new country and viewpoint. Perhaps even an artist from the opposite sex?
10. What is your favourite ‘ism’?
There is something in each era that has something to learn form and something that might be best left in the past, so I couldn’t say I prefer one to the other.
11. What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?
Anything anyone said that was critical as that requires thought, reasoning, opinion-and to a degree a bit of balls to tell someone why and what they don’t like about something you’ve spent hours making. This gives me much more to improve my work.
12. And the dumbest?
That I do manga. I like manga its cool but it’s nothing to do with what I do I just thought it was an odd description
13. Which artists would you most like to rip off, sorry, I mean appropriate as a critique of originality and authorship?
Perhaps Banksy just to see if I could get away with that style. It’s instantly recognisable and very street-arty, say what you want about his work but he has some really good comments and ideas and has done a lot of good with what he has.
14. Do you care what your art costs? State your reasons!
The sheer amount of work, effort and time I put into something should be reflected through some means, so I’d say I do care.
15. If MoMA and the Tate and the Pompidou wanted to acquire one of your works each, which would you want them to have?
It would have to be one of my screen printed illustrations. They define what I do best and it would be interesting to see how they would stand up next to everything else there
16. What’s next for you?
There is so much I want to try out, experiment, investigate and experience, there will always be so much more to learn and develop and I can’t wait to get my teeth into new challenges. So far I haven’t said no to anything be it animation, branding or portraits, being stretched outside of my comfort zone has really benefitted me. Anything and everything -nothings off the table!
The immediate future is continued work for existing and new clients and constantly searching new work and areas to work in, I’m on the hunt for a new print studio so I can invest time pursuing my personal interests and self initiated work. I’m really proud to be working with the Jester Jacques gallery there’s some really forward thinking ideas bouncing around that I’m excited to get involved in such as workshops and stretching myself into different formats and products I’m looking forward to seeing where that leads.
www.benrider.com
@benjaminrider
You view and buy Ben Rider art over at Jester Jaques Gallery
