Contemporary artist Ben Slow is, in his own words, “bringing fine art to the streets.” Yet Slow’s work is in constant dialogue with the urban, not only giving his art to the streets, but taking his inspiration from them. The vibrant and eclectic characters of London, his hometown, are Slow’s greatest source of inspiration, and his beautiful black and white portraits tell a story, each one a profound glimpse on the human condition.
Read moreWith their focus on community, Slow’s pieces are often site-specific, immortalising local personalities in deeply resonant locations. Slow’s canvas of choice may be the urban exteriors, but his canvas and print work allows for a subtlety of expression and an experimentation that the street scene precludes.
Slow explores medium and method, applying a range of materials to the canvas, before experimenting with destruction and deconstruction, to produce a unique and distinctive aesthetic. Expect heavy layers of graphite and ink, often with a touch of gold leaf, that shade into the figurative through a process of abstraction. The results are haunting and breathtakingly beautiful, and Slow’s work blends delicate antiquity with a distinctly contemporary, street-art edge, to unrivalled success.
