Business

LONDON CREATIVE: BEN EINE

Recently we caught up with renowned street artist Ben Eine.

1) YOUR TYPOGRAPHY STYLE IS YOUR TRADEMARK, BUT DID YOU EVER AND CAN YOU PAINT FIGURATIVELY?

Yes I do paint figuratively although I always approach it from a mathematical point of view.

2) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE QUALITY OF ARTISTS WITH URBAN ROOTS PAINTING FOR GALLERIES ARE LIKE TODAY?

To be honest I am quite oblivious to this. I tend to work with and be aware of my close circle of friends rather than have a broader view of a possible ‘scene’.

3) ONCE UPON A TIME LONDON WAS DRIVING THE STREET ART SCENE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ITS PROGRESSED IF AT ALL? HOW DO YOU THINK ENGLISH STREET ART CAN MOVE FORWARD AND REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE?

For me London is still an important centre for street art. Things always evolve, it’s only natural, and good artists respond to their changing surroundings. I do not think you can or should try to push anything into a certain direction. Good work should always be honest.

4) DO YOU MAKE ART TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THINGS? IF SO, WHAT THINGS?

There are lots of different reasons why I make art. I always love the opportunity to put art in places that people would not normally see art.

5) WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR WORK TO BE HUNG THE MOST RIGHT NOW?

The National Gallery

6) WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

The world’s biggest painting. I won’t say anymore.

7) WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT LAZY SUNDAY IN LONDON LOOK LIKE?

A Bloody Mary, Sunday Roast with Yorkshire pudding

8) WHAT WAS THE REASON BEHIND YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH KASPERSKY FOR THE DATA DOLLAR STORE X BEN EINE CONCEPT?

The concept for the Data Dollar Store was so simple and perfect. I loved the idea that we only truly became aware of the value of our information and personal data when we had to choose what to give up and in fact lose in return for something. It made you ask yourself what is it that you hold dear in a way that you had perhaps not truly explored.

9) HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS FOR LONDONER’S TO PROTECT THEIR PERSONAL DATA? HOW DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT OUR PERSONAL DATA AND WHAT ROLE DOES ART HAVE TO PLAY WITH IT?

I think that more than ever the protection of what we hold dear digitally is vital.

We trust our thoughts, our personal data, our money, our access and our memories now to a digital world through our phones, the internet and computers and I guess working with Kaspersky I hope that we at the very least we are helping to make people aware and that there are ways that you can protect yourself. Art can help with allowing people to look art the world in a different way and to start a conversation and hopefully with collaboration has done just that.

Check out the short video clip below about The Data Dollar Store – A Data Shopping Social Experiment by Kaspersky Lab:

Written by Julia Nelson