Ben Kulp

Small Ink Landscapes: 2011

Ben — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:20:35 +0000

This is a series of paintings I started in January of 2011. They are executed using the small gift cards from Borders (like the small pink landscapes) but are created with ink and watercolor pencil applied with a bent paperclip. They appear online (much) larger than they do in real life.

Transformers Sculptures: 2010 – 2011

Ben — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:46:32 +0000

These sculptures come from a longstanding interest in scale models. I became interested in the idea of assembling models without regard for the instructions; treating them as pre-made sculptural parts. Starting a kind of sculptural game, I set limitations on the size of the finished product by creating a display case before having a finished product and assembling the sculpture to fit within the boundaries of the case. Each model is made from the pieces of a specific car or plane model and these pieces can be seen in the finished product.

Large Abstract Paintings: 2001 – 2011

Ben — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:42:57 +0000

This series of paintings has been my primary body of work over the past decade. These works are created on large canvases and involved painting in layers using thin coats of paint. The process is started by drawing on the canvas and painting over the drawing with the full range of the color spectrum. Then, a second composition is drawn using black and white paint, covering, complimenting, and contrasting the first layer. Using thin layers of white and black house paint, a final, abstract composition emerges. From a distance, the paintings appear to be almost exclusively black and white, but as the viewer gets closer, more and more color becomes apparent.

Pukers: 2008

Ben — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:23:47 +0000

The series of drawings below were started shortly after the death of a friend from college. Each drawing incorporates a figure vomiting and bleeding from the eyes. The figure’s name is Alfred and I started drawing him during my freshmen year of college after the death of another peer. It became clear at the time that he was a symbol of some sort, and I was not surprised when he started appearing in drawings when I experienced the loss of another friend. Before, he sat rather placidly on a white background, now though his surroundings were extremely dark and chaotic and I found myself drawing him vomiting. Vomiting is a natural means of removing a hurtful element from our bodies; we associate it with sickness, but at its root the process is one of healing. This realization came slowly as I drew more and more characters puking; this was my healing process, my way of resolving the emotions that I felt at the passing of a friend.

Hero Drawings: 2008 – 2009

Ben — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:14:52 +0000

The drawings in this series are all executed on high gloss trading cards put out by Image comics in the 1990′s. The drawings are made using permanent marker and the finished composition allows color and compositional elements from the artwork on the card to come through. The cards are created in small groups (two or three at a time) whose composition and colors are tied together.

Coaching Circles: 2008 – 2010

Ben — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:09:08 +0000

A series of drawings with ink and watercolor completed while at work coaching. Often the words written in the drawings come directly from the coaching conversation or are inspired by the content of the conversation.

Small Pink Landscapes: 2005 – 2006

Ben — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:56:45 +0000

These landscapes came to life first as a series of drawings. I was inspired by the blocks of stone left over from the many limestone quarries in the area. In particular the lighting towards the end of the day was very dramatic and I was inspired to draw and keep drawing them, abstracting the landscape a bit more each time. I was also working at Borders and as the Christmas holiday approached we sold and got back tons of gift cards. Normal procedure was to just throw them away, but I started pocketing them figuring there was something I could do artistically. Unable to afford canvas, I started painting the landscapes I was imagining on these cards. The images as they appear online are significantly larger than the actual paintings.