BEN MAY
About
My artwork offers a social critique, exploring the dynamic relationships of object versus figure, and class distinction, in colorful and satirical narratives. The autobiographical narratives depict my point of view in overcrowded and fully filled scenes. In an almost collage like composition, I bring stylized characters and oversaturated objects to the stage. I set my scenes with lots of details bringing viewers in to scan over all of the various elements of the piece. using drastic scale shifts, figures are often dominated by objects illuminating the relationship between the two. My experiences working as a bartender in fine dining and a gaming dealer at a casino is where I draw my narratives from. Witnessing class interactions firsthand is what sparked my interest in researching class dichotomies and is what has inspired my current series of 52 illustrations modernizing a deck of cards. Through my practice and art, I hope to leave viewers with a sense of wonder, and to engage them with dialogue along the lines of the disappearing middle class and a post capitalist society.