Working with repurposed materials to create textile-based pieces, Ben Venom contrasts the often menacing and aggressive counter-culture components of skateboarding, punk/metal music, and the occult with the comforts of domesticity. This collision of traditional quilting techniques with elements tied to the fringes of society re-envisions the story of the material through a softer lens.
Venom graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2007 with a Master of Fine Arts degree. His work has been shown both nationally and internationally including the Levi Strauss Museum (Germany), National Folk Museum of Korea, HPGRP Gallery (Tokyo), Fort Wayne Museum, Charlotte Fogh Gallery (Denmark), Taubman Museum of Art, Gregg Museum of Art and Design, and the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles. He has been interviewed by NPR: All Things Considered, Playboy, Juxtapoz Magazine, KQED, Maxim, and CBS Sunday Morning. Venom has lectured at the California College of Arts, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Midlands Art Centre, Humboldt State University, Oregon College of Art and Craft, and Adidas. Recently, he was the artist in residence at MASS MoCA and the de Young Museum. Ben Venom is currently Visiting Faculty at the San Francisco Art Institute.
For more information, please see: BenVenom.com and on Instagram @benvenom.
Ben Venom, American Bird, 2019. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric. 45” x 48”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
First, and most importantly, how are you doing? How are you navigating the highs and lows?
My family and I are doing well. Staying safe and healthy as best we can. We take things as they come and strive to keep moving forward. My wife and I have focused our energy into creating an environment where our 2 ½ year old daughter can thrive while living through these uncertain times.
Ben Venom, FLEX YOUR HEAD, 2020. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric. 71” x 76”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
It's my experience that most artists engage with some level of self-isolation in their day to day art practice. Has this been your experience? And if so, have you found these innate rhythms to be helpful during this larger, world-wide experience of isolation?
Yes… absolutely. My studio is located in the back of our apartment and I am able to close the door, put on my headphones, and work uninterrupted. Mostly at night when our daughter is sleeping or a few hours in the afternoon when she is napping. My rhythms have not changed much since the pandemic started as this was a routine I started soon after we became parents.
Ben Venom, Midnight Flyer, 2020. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric. 47” x 40”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
It would be great if you could briefly talk us through your practice. Understanding it is integral to appreciating the multivalence of your work.
Everything I do begins with some amount of research into a particular topic or interest. I will come up with a general idea in my sketchbook by taking notes and doing some quick drawings to work out my idea. I try and utilize the materials in a way that adds to the overall design. Just like a puzzle, every little piece has a certain place that fits into the larger image.
The reclaimed fabrics used in my work contain a multitude of personal histories and everyone’s unexplained stain, tear, or rip is included. These salvaged pieces are sewn into a larger narrative and become a part of a collective history within the work.
Ben Venom, Tiger vs. Tiger, 2020. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric. 39” x 41”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
Has any of your imagery shifted in a reflection to what's currently happening? And why, or why not?
My imagery and concept has not significantly shifted in the past year. However, I halted my art practice for a few months at the beginning of pandemic and began producing cloth masks made from scraps of recycled fabric in my studio for essential workers, family, and friends.
I’ve produced a couple hundred and donated them all except for a few that were sold via the Museum of Craft and Design’s online store.
Ben Venom, Face Masks, 2020. Recycled Fabric and Elastic. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
Healthcare professionals wearing Ben Venom Face Masks, 2020. Recycled Fabric and Elastic. Photo by: Unknown.
Are you thinking differently? Coping differently? Inspired differently?
I’m trying to focus on projects that I find engaging and exciting rather than saying yes to everything, since I have sometimes overextended myself in the past. I have always coped by simply putting my time in the studio whenever possible. Inspiration changes constantly…I find it when and wherever I can.
Ben Venom, Blue Collar, 2018. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric. 65” x 73”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
What is bringing you solace, or even joy, in this moment?
Spending time with my daughter and wife. Daily trips to the playground, riding bicycles, and walks around our neighborhood.
Ben Venom, Speedfreak, 2020. Custom Fabricated Jacket. Collaboration with Tul Jutargare. 20” x 25”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
Ben Venom, High Flyer Tote Bag, 2020. Custom Fabricated Tote with Recycled Fabric. Collaboration with Meghan McAleavy. 24” x 12” x 10”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
What research or writing are you doing that you find compelling?
Disposable: A History of Skateboard Art, American Denim: A New Folk Art, William Morris Textiles, Homefront Battlefield, Rosie Lee Tompkins, and Advice From My 80 Year Old Self by Susan O’Malley.
Ben Venom, War Machine, 2018. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric. 133” x 72”. Photo by: Shaun Roberts.
Ben Venom, No More Tears, 2013. Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Denim. 75” x 79”. Photo by: Randy Dodson.
Are you reading anything?
I listen to podcasts….Slow Burn, True Crime Garage, WYNC Radiolab, Wind of Change, Marketplace, Norco 80, WTF, and many more.
Ben Venom with Full Metal Jacket, Midlands Art Centre / All This Mayhem exhibition / 2019. Photo by: David Rowan