Ben Allen

Ben Allen is a rebel and his art reflects that. When he first started painting in the 90s, he soon realised this could be an outlet for the wild creative energy which distracted him so much in his youth. The application of paint, ink or collage on to a surface has been a compulsive, therapeutic habit ever since he returned from a trip to Mexico aged 19, where he first encountered the philosophical concepts of perception, inner development and mind-expansion which underpin the writings of some of his favourite authors including Carlos Castenada, one of his most significant and recurring influences.

Ben’s paintings, murals and screen prints occupy a space between street art, graffiti, abstraction, graphic design, pop culture, modernism and comic strips. It’s an oeuvre which is best described as Contemporary Pop Art. Using a range of materials including acrylic, household paints, spray paint, screen printing, markers, comic books, digital print, billboard papers and US currency, he makes diverse, intuitive and boldly subversive imagery.

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