Ben Venom
Interview by Mike Hughes
Photograph provided by Randy Dodson
Artist Statement:
Working with repurposed materials to create textile-based pieces, I contrast the often menacing and aggressive counterculture 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.
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. The fragility of the materials and their assaulting imagery are brought together in the form of a functional piece of art.
Skull mustache logo patch
Thanks Ben for taking the time to share a bit of yourself and your work with us. We really appreciate it.
MH: Subculture, sub-context and counterculture are all ingredients that punk and metal have defined. From people who don’t fit into any particular group, rose a particular group. A group of outsiders. Outcasts that had some things to say about the societies they lived in. While growing up in Georgia, did you ever identify with any of this? If so, how?
BV: I grew up in the 1990’s Atlanta, Georgia punk rock scene and was introduced early on to the concept of D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself). This mentality has followed me through my teenage years and into adulthood. Basically, don’t ever let anything hinder you from seeing your ideas through to the end. When I began sewing I had no idea what I was doing…simply a concept I wanted to create.
There was a small faction of kids interested in punk rock that were at odds with most of the school. We were all interested in art, skateboarding, and non-mainstream music. Basically, not what was routinely on MTV. This taught me that there was a whole different culture out there and you had to look a little harder than simply turning on your TV or radio. Bands would play in basements, kitchens, and warehouses all over Atlanta and in the suburbs. There would be merch in the form of 7” or 12” vinyl, hand screenprinted shirts, and patches to purchase at these shows. Everything was done by the individual….nothing was commercially made.
Tiger vs. Tiger • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric • 39” x 41” 2019
MH: What was your first concert? How did it make you feel?
BV: I saw the Ramones play at the 99X Big Day Out music festival in 1995. My friends and I all carpooled down just south of Atlanta, GA to what was then called the Lakewood Amphitheater. It was empowering to be part of something different than what I was used to at the time. To see the Ramones in person made it that more real after constantly playing their albums on my home stereo. The energy and release were very freeing as the music thundered through the crowd with people moshing and rocking out.
American Bird • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric • 45” x 48” 2019
MH: It’s World War 2. The B-17 bomber groups start adorning their bomber jackets with insignia patches, bombs signifying kills and paintings of beautiful women holding tridents while riding on the backs of airplanes. The battle jacket was born. Since then, the battle jacket has made its way through subcultures and has been made a beacon for counterculture. The “kutte” became a flag which represented not only what music you were into, but also what sort of societal norm you were counter too or simply against. It was an assemblage of bands put together on jean jackets and leather jackets. And often, when you see a kutte we see the aftermath of concerts woven into its fibers. And certainly, if we couldn’t see it, we could smell it.
The subject matter that you are borrowing from is punk and metal. Having established that, do you find your work inspired by assemblages such as battle jackets or kuttes?
BV: Absolutely! It’s a collection of who a person is and who they align themselves with…are you with me or against me? My jackets carry on this tradition by combining the storytelling of a quilt with the various cultures I am a part of, punk rock, metal, skateboarding, and more recently, sports.
FLEX YOUR HEAD • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric • 71” x 76” 2020
MH: Whenever I see the branding or artwork from a band like Anthrax, Slayer, MOD, SOD and the like, it immediately takes me to a time and place. Is the idea of nostalgia or drawing on people’s fond memories of music at play in your work?
BV: Definitely. By stitching donated fabrics into a unified piece, my quilts are able to display a multitude of personal histories. Everyone’s unexplained stain, tear, or rip is included and when displayed visitors will be able to see a piece of themselves woven into this larger history. These materials have lives and often fabric becomes too threadbare or stained to wear in their original form. In my artwork I take the fabric pieces and sew new life and a new function into them so they can live on in different form. i.e. a quilt or jacket. I recently completed a commission for a fully custom made jacket titled Full Metal Jacket. The jacket was constructed from various t-shirts the owner had saved from his teenage years and each one represented an important memory or event in his life. He’s now able to walk around wearing his memories.
Ride On • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Harley Davidson Bandannas • 18” x 23” 2020
MH: Abrasiveness and brutality versus a comforting heirloom. It’s like yin and yang. If yin was a drunk uncle and yang was a wise old grandmother. Can you describe the duality in your pieces?
BV: In one word my work can be described as a COLLISION. Much like the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland that shoots opposing forces at near lightning speed to create an explosion and release of new energy, I combine machismo, loud, and disparate elements of culture with a relatively soft functional medium…textiles. Turning it up to 11, pushing past the RED. The idea of masculine/feminine, yin/yang, craft and fine art stitched together with techniques usually relegated to your grandmother’s sewing circle.
War Machine • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric• Installation view of Reclamation exhibition - Fort Wayne Museum / Fort Wayne, IN • 133” x 72” 2018 • Photo by: Shaun Roberts
MH: Your work entitled “War Machine” and “Monument to Thieves” feel like they are laying out a narrative for us. Are there any specific narratives in these pieces that we should be aware of?
BV: War Machine was made specifically for my solo exhibition at the Fort Wayne Museum in Indiana. It references military conquest combined with the design influence of the William Morris Collection. Monument to Thieves explores the intersection of banking and finance with the economic disparities we face in America. The center motif is a justice scale flanked by a statuesque lion and a flashy pin up girl. Risk vs Reward. The title is taken from the hardcore band His Hero is Gone full length album titled “Monument to Thieves”. On the back of the album is a photo of Progress Street with a Dead End sign above it.
Design by Mike Hughes
MH: Do you want us to decode anything in your work?
BV: Some pieces have more obscure references or concepts. I see it as a way to engage with viewers. I’m open to viewers taking what they want from my work. Part of the audience seems to respond to the imagery, others to the materials that I use, while some are just interested in the quilting process itself.
Monument to Thieves • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric • 95” x 67” 2016
MH: Art is often a reflection of the times relevant to what is happening right now. That said, your piece entitled “Nazi Punks Fuck Off!” seems like a timeless reminder that should be part of everybody’s life. What was this piece in relation to and why?
BV: The Nazi Punks Fuck Off! quilt was made specifically for INTO ACTION: A Celebration of Cultural Resistance and Community Power. INTO ACTION is a movement of designers, illustrators, animators and artists building cultural momentum around civic engagement and the issues affecting our country and world. The design is directly inspired by the Dead Kennedys song Nazi Punks Fuck Off! and incorporates camouflage and a discarded Confederate flag. The basic concept of the piece is to have a strong message utilizing a soft medium and give these people a taste of their own medicine by using symbols they associate with their organization.
MH: On a creative level, has anyone ever told you that you can’t do something, you shouldn’t do something or that something you wanted to do wouldn’t work? If so, how did you handle it or overcome it?
BV: Always follow your dumb ideas! Basically, don’t ever let anything hinder you from seeing your ideas through to the end. I am a self-taught quilter and when I began sewing I had no idea what I was doing. I bought a book (Quilting Basics 101), made a lot of mistakes, and asked questions from the employees at the fabric store. There are always different, better, quicker ways to do things. That’s why I always ask questions. Over time I figured out which fabric to use and which needles to buy, etc. I am definitely still learning new tricks and techniques to this day. I have never let my lack of knowledge hinder me from seeing an idea to completion. Art for me is about research and learning on a continual basis. I believe mistakes are a large part of the process and I embrace them as part of the handmade nature of my work. Mistakes are a direct link to the artist’s hand being visible to the audience.
Crawling Death • Hand-made Quilt with Silk and Embroidery • 36” x 36” 2019
MH: A common theme that all artists seem to go through is self-doubt. Is self-doubt anything that you ever grapple with? If so, do you find it hindering your work or making it better? And how?
BV: Every single hour of everyday I am constantly at odds with myself, concerned with what needs to be done to be satisfied with outcome of a peice. Never settle…always keep pushing.
MH: You have a unique conceptual viewpoint that you have fully realized in your art. For anybody out there struggling to get across their own unique viewpoint, what sage advice would you give them?
BV: Do art for yourself first and foremost. Don’t be bothered or pulled down by negativity…haters have nothing to contribute. Patti Smith says it best; “Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don't make compromises, don't worry about making a bunch of money or being successful — be concerned with doing good work and make the right choices and protect your work. And if you build a good name, eventually, that name will be its own currency.”
Furthermore, I try to follow at least two of these three guidelines: be on time, make good work, and be easy to work with.
Black Sabbath F.C. Custom Fabricated Jacket, Collaboration with Tul Jutargare • 20” x 25” 2019
Find Your People • Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric • 60” x 78” 2021
MH: I’ve noticed that you have moved beyond quilts and are now making jackets. People are quite literally wearing your artwork. Was there any conceptual thinking around expanding your artwork into the public space?
BV: Textiles has allowed me to push my art past being just a precious object hanging on the wall to becoming a fusion of art, fashion, and especially function. All my pieces can be used as functional items. The quilts are purposely constructed according to the technical specifications of what constitutes a quilt. At the end of the day even if you do not like what you see aesthetically...my art still serves a distinct purpose in the world. You can wear it, it keeps you warm, etc.
Shapeshifter (front) • Custom Fabricated Coat with Handmade Quilt • Collaboration with Yvonne Taylor • 24” x 40” 2020
Full Metal Jacket (front) Custom Fabricated Jacket with Heavy Metal band T-shirts • Collaboration with Tul Jutagare • 20” x 25” 2019
Full Metal Jacket (back) Custom Fabricated Jacket with Heavy Metal band T-shirts • Collaboration with Tul Jutagare • 20” x 25” 2019
Black Sabbath F.C. Custom Fabricated Jacket, Collaboration with Tul Jutargare • 20” x 25” 2019
Red Skull • Levis Jean Jacket with Fabric • 20” x 30” 2021
MH: Tell us anything you have going on or coming up.
BV: Lux Art Center - January 2022
Hickory Art Museum – Summer 2023
