As If You Care,

As if you care, (because you probably don't) is the name I have given to this blog where I keep my latest rants, project ideas and creative attempts.  When adding to this post I work under the assumption that people do care, and are interested - which I know of course is not true, but helps me work without thinking "why am I doing this? nobody f&*$ing cares!".

Lefties

Written by Ben | 10 April 2009

To all my left handed friends, FACT:

2,500 Left handed people die every year using products designed for right handed people.

I've found my True Calling

Written by Ben | 27 March 2009

It struck me yesterday. Now I know why I'm building websites and making graphics and art and everything.  My purpose is to encourage, motivate and inspire creative people to do what they know they should be doing - but for so many reasons don't do to their own satisfaction: create for the sake of creating.  Create with power and passion for no other reason than that is what you must do, or you will surely feel pain for not doing it.  I am not really talking about the professionally trained and degreed artists here.  The people I am mostly concerned about are those like myself, who are passionate about art and need to be creative, yet have difficulties finding time, resources, inspiration, motivation and a chance to just get started.

I'd like to give a huge shout out to Adam Berzowski. I would never have made this revelation without him.  It was simple, and I'm sure he didn't intend it.  All he did was thank me one day.  He said he had been discouraged and that talking with me gave him new energy and motivation to create.  What did I do?

All I did was share my passion and enthusiasm for the work he was doing.  He makes amazing music and I have the privelage of getting to hear some of the things he's working on.

Whenever I see someone using their talents to make original art I get totally excited - I see possibilities and my brain makes connections and I get all freaked out in a good way.  My head pops up through the clouds and then lands squarely on my shoulders - sometimes.

Let me temper my revelation with realism.  I won't be able to help most artists out there.  I'm just a guy with the same constraints of work and family and fun.  But whenever I can let my enthusiasm encourage someone to create - I want to do that.  Whenever I can ply my knowledge, skills or tools to help another workaday stiff achieve their artistic vision - I want to do that.

IMA panel One

Written by Ben | 14 March 2009

The basic idea for this drawing came from a habit I have of looking toward the sun, using my thumb or finger to block out it's light. This helps me see things that are close to the sun in a composition. Just like shading your eyes but with a single digit.
It is charcoal on a toothy 100% cotton cold press paper.
IMA is my acronym for "Insecurity and the Mask of Ambition", the name I gave to  the art after drawing it and expanding the idea into a triptych. To help me stay focused on my original inspiration I have associated a poem with this drawing:

IMA_smlI can do Anything
but What have I Done
I reach for the stars,
I block out the sun.

it continues with:

The higher we strive
the harder we stretch
the tighter the noose
around our own necks

The right side of the triptych depicts my right hand on a car's steering wheel.  Through the windshield is seen a highway in a modern day city.  The triptych forms a panoramic scene: my arms outstretched and everything in between.

The center panel's imagery explores the human relationship to nature and the sources of human power - literal and figurative.

The artwork asks the viewer: Do you feel stretched? Are you torn? Where do you get your power? What do you do with it? Will technology be our savior or downfall? Is there a middle ground?