Ben McKegney
Ben McKegney is a Canadian mixed media artist known for his intentionally unrefined style and ominous subject matter. Ben is a (mostly) self-taught artist who currently has one self-publication "Everything is Fine" featuring original artwork, photography and writing.
Ben and his studio reside in rural Ontario, Canada with his two pugs Peter and Tula.
Ben's work rebels against the norm. It's like a hard punch to the soft belly of traditional aesthetics. It doesn't ask for your approval, doesn't seek your gaze. It stands there, audacious and unapologetic, smirking at convention and shattering expectations. You get the feeling that his art doesn't just exist, it dares to exist, defying any attempt to box it in or label it.
The pieces don't plead for your consideration, they demand it - not through cries for attention but through the magnetic pull of their unabashed uniqueness. They're the renegades of the digital art world, fiercely independent, carving their own path in the landscape of fashion design.
Ben's art isn't just looked at, it's experienced. It's a gust of raw, electric energy that doesn't merely meet your gaze, but challenges it. Like a silent roar in the void of the digital canvas, each piece clamours to be heard through sight, pushing the boundaries of the conventional, provoking a riot in the silence of the observer's mind. His art isn't just seen, it stares back, making you question what you know and what you perceive about art itself.
But whatever, this isn’t some yuppie art party.
F**k You.
"3 RING BINDER"
"DEBUTUM"
"IMAGE SEARCH"
""SATELLITE CONNECTION"
"DIRECT COMMUNICATION"
"STAY"
"SPEEDWAY"
"AUDIO/VISUAL" B
"THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT"
"TIGER WITH SIX LEGS"
"VAPE CITY"
Where do you find your inspiration?
“I pull a lot of inspiration from consuming way too much media. I'm huge on Old horror films ( like just old enough to be corny). Stop motion films, toys, album covers. I used to love when you'd buy a CD and there would be a slipcover or insert with a collage or something. All that shits cool. I try to stay open to what I let influence me in my life and that helps a lot too. People get too closed off in their ways sometimes and I can't think of another way you could enjoy what's around you less.”
Where did you learn to create your art?
“A lot of what I've learned in art and in life comes from skateboarding and the skateboard community. Those old 80's and 90's graphics, videos. My music taste which plays into my art also. It all came from being A skate rat. Art is much easier on my body though which I guess also leads into leaning into my creative side as I get older. My whole life has been Trial and Error and so is my artwork. There is no right or wrong answer.”
How would you respond to someone who may
say your art is savage and lacks depth?
“I would say "you're right!". Much of my art is savage it could lack depth in more ways than one but being someone who enjoys the process of making art I can only present it and hope for the best. Anything after that is just a bonus.”
WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Although Ben may not have access to professional studio space, that has not stopped him from creating larger than life works of art. Here is a peak behind the curtain of his in home studio.