VOICE 1156 Q&A WITH BEN HORTON
Interview conducted by Noah Spahn

Voice 1156: What was your impression of the two opening nights for the current show at voice1156?
BH: Great! I'm glad there is such a nice, big, gallery right in the middle of downtown and it is always nice to see so many people interested in art.

Voice1156: Let's hear a little bit about the paintings that you have on display at the Voice 1156 Gallery; the first thing that I noticed in your work is how you successfully meshed drawing and painting into a very effective style. Do you ever see them as separate elements that need to be reconciled? How do you approach your work?
BH: Well, I try not to define my work as drawing or painting. I mean, sometimes I draw with paint on canvas and sometimes I paint with inks on paper. I just go with whatever style I feel like at the moment and if I want to change the style halfway through the piece, I will. I try to let the creative process flow instead of worrying about technicalities.

Voice1156: You had noted that your work for (the skateboard companies) Zero and Mystery was separate from your gallery work. How do you achieve a balance between the two?
BH: Whenever your creating art for an industry, you need (in most cases) to consider the marketing, brand image, etc. of the product. So there are many outside influences that effect your decision making and creative process. But, when I create art for myself, the are no boundaries, therefore I do whatever I want. So, sure, I like what I do for a living, but I use my painting as my main creative outlet.

Voice1156: The painting that first caught my attention was Copy Machine: the sandwiching of intentional (even meticulous) illustrations both underneath and on top of the harsh application of red paint. What can you tell us about that piece or the methodology that is involved in works of that style?
BH: With that painting, I was trying to convey the way I felt about my art at the time. I had been painting a lot and it was feeling repetitive and boring. So, I basically re-created a painting I had done in the past. I used sort of a collage style and wrote "Copy Machine" across it in disgust with myself.

Voice1156: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, and we look forward to seeing more of your art in the future…
BH: Thank you.