Ben’s obsessive-compulsive artistic relationship with skulls and bones is clearly a consequence of being born with super human illustration skills and x-ray vision.

His latest series of candy coloured portraits split Kurt Cobain, James Dean, Sid Vicious, Jimmy Hendrix, Buddy Holly and music’s most recent victim, Amy Winehouse, quite literally, in half. The Andy Warhol inspired comical renders, are part morbid tongue in cheek (or skull) and part eternal depictions (flesh). Die Young salutes popular idols with untimely deaths. As Ben puts it…”the celebrity life-style that we seem to aspire to, had killed them all by the age of 27″

An illustrator for over twenty years, Ben Brown is a regular contributor of comics for editorial, including the notorious surfing publication ‘Stab’. He has designed extensive clothing graphics for brands such as Mambo, Insight, Globe, O’Neill, Rip Curl, Ocean & Earth, Nice Produce and Supply, and he has designed music and festival posters for the likes of Nirvana, Frenzal Rhomb, Silverchair, Fat Boy Slim, The Hoodoo Gurus, Big Day Out, Good Vibrations Festival, Homebake and The Falls Festival.

Die Young opens on the 9th of December from 6pm to 10pm and is on exhibition until the 24th December 2011 at The National Grid Gallery, 24 Chard Rd, Brookvale.

East West came to fruition one balmy summer evening in late 2010 when some light drunken banter between two like minded friends, (one from Yallingup, WA, and the other from Narrabeen, NSW), developed into a fully fledged group exhibition of artists from opposite sides of Australia.

Art loving east coaster, Bryan Dalli, and west coast creative all rounder, Luke Thomas, have culminated their artistic networks to curate an exhibition of nine artists from the west coast of Australia, and nine artists from the east coast of Australia.

“Louie and I saw a gap in art show space. There were no stand out events that brought together talent from such polar opposites, we felt the need to set the benchmark and bridge the gap” BD.

The exhibition showcases the assorted talents and artistic techniques of emerging to established artists, normally separated by geography, in a communal space. Each of the 18 artists were hand picked to compliment the groups dynamics, and to bring their own unique style and flavour to the event.

“We set out to select a broad mix of skills and artistic genres, so we pulled together friends and colleagues from different backgrounds and compiled a pretty hard hitting line up. The show has stencils and graffiti, juxtaposed with low brow art, and epic garage pieces.” LT.

There will be a live airbrushing display on the opening night with the final product being sold by silent auction. The 2011 East West event debuts in Sydney (11/11/11), with the show set to start touring coast to coast next year.

Artists involved include:

WEST COAST ARTISTS:
IAN MUTCH (KINGBROWN), JEN THOMAS, HOLDFAST TATTOO STUDIOS ARTISTS, PHIL SMART, SUZI Q,  LAUREN FENLON, RYAN YOUNG, NATHAN B, SAIRA KWOL

EAST COAST ARTISTS:
CASPIAN DE LOOZE, BEC CROCKETT, EMILY REID, LAURE IVES, NICK BAZAROW, PATRICK INDO, RAD DAN, SAM CLARK, DESMOND SWEENEY (LIVE AIRBRUSHING)

East West opens at 6.30pm on Friday the 11th of November at The National Grid Gallery, 24 Chard Rd Brookvale, and is on exhibition until the 2nd of December.

OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2011 @ 6:30PM

‘Surf City’ is an exhibition of collaborations by artist Luke Taaffe and photographer Ryan Heywood. Navigating omnipotent seascapes and psychedelic surf iconography of the 80′s and 90′s, the distinct styles of each artist merge into powerful graphic scenery. With a mutual respect for surf culture and the ocean itself, Luke and Ryan combine Megaloden shark jaws, lone boats, vast seas and pyrotechnical patternations, into isolated, pervasive and somewhat sinister environments describing a darker side of the surfer’s experience. Luke’s painterly, graphic and vibrant approach perfectly juxtaposes Ryan’s faded and desaturated sea photography, printed directly onto wood. Grandiose in scale, the pieces command attention and immersion. This show pays homage to urban myths and the more emotive aspects of a surf culture left behind in the wake of it’s commercial success.
‘Surf City’ opens on Friday the 14th of October and is on exhibition until the 2nd of November 2011.

Click here to download the Press Release: Eclectica PR-lo

The National Grid Gallery along with our good Friends at Empty Magazine are proud to announce the Northern Leg of ‘The Empty Exhibition’.

Featuring Original works by MEGGS :: ERIK MARK SANDBERG :: NIC PLOWMAN :: BEASTMAN :: AARON NAGEL :: ANDREW QUILTY :: KARIM HAMID :: TAMARA DEAN :: CHRISTIAN REX VAN MINNEN

The show includes the release of Empty magazine Issue 20!

CASPIAN DE LOOZE, LUKE MORRELL, SAM CLARK, TEZ, CAMILLA ZAVATTARO, CLAIRE REID, APESEVEN.
Guest Appearance by BIGFOOT & JASON MALONEY

Opens FRIDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 6-10pm

The exhibition runs from Sept 25th-Oct 23rd
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Saturdays 12pm-3pm

In November a team of skilled tradesmen will head over to assist in re-building these destroyed homes along with training the locals with the skills to continue restoring this damaged community.

The cost of each home is $4,500 AUD, and our goal is to raise enough funds on the night for 2 x homes. The night and day will consist of an art exhibition, a silent auction with insane prizes-including 2 x LAN Airline tickets, a raffle with surfboards and clothing prize packs, with all proceeds going to the cause.

Plus they have some unreal bands lined up which include ‘The Villainares’ and ‘Hong Kong’ along with plenty of free booze and mountains of epic artwork from the coolest love cats around….

THE FACTORY oF YEAH

Exhibition Dates
Opening Night – Friday 27th August
6pm – 11-pm

Saturday 28th August
10am – 4pm

Address
194 Harbord Rd, Brookvale, NSW, 2100 ( Just after the speed camera )

OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY 6TH AUGUST 6PM-10PM
EXHIBITION RUNS UNTIL 3RD SEPTEMBER 2010
THE NATIONAL GRID GALLERY. 24 CHARD RD. BROOKVALE
WWW.THENATIONALGRID.COM.AU