About my work
Vinyl
Vinyl will be arguably written in history as the founder of recorded music. It is saturated with feeling and mood, the clarity is beautiful, elegantly raw and above all – honest. Listen closely and anticipate the crackles – the imperfections that remind you of its origins. Unlike its digital counterparts, Vinyl is, and always will be a nature of its own… warm, rugged & elegantly simple. It is appealing to both the eye, the ear and the touch allowing the ability to feel and visualise the music which is so quickly being lost in the digital age.
Previously, vinyl records had one of two destinies, the charity shop box in the corner of the room, or the rubbish pile. Instead, I see the immortality in their existence – recreating the icons of music, film, society quite literally from the music form that made them. The identity of these pieces will remain unique, just as no two vinyl records will ever sound the same, nor will the features of their portrait. A 3D piece of art, from a monotone format… Each piece of vinyl is emotionally charged, some reflective, dazzling in different angles and lights, some reserved and soft. Because of this, each portrait gives many different impressions to the eye, enrapturing a nostalgic moment in time. Vinyl is the only medium to let these portraits sing.
I feel as an artist it is my duty to connect the viewer with the icon, to feel the mind, body and soul – allowing the music to make the icon, rather than the icon making the music.
Volcanic Sand
Years have passed, and I’ve made the transition from manipulating a man made product to create my work to using minerals from Mother Nature, and given climate change is at such a state of decline, I feel that now is the time.
I have created a new concept for a whole new body of work. Using black volcanic sand sourced from around the world, to create some of mother nature‘s finest creations.
Carrying on my method of working, using the same tools, I approach each piece with a high degree of reverence, each and every detail meticulously and methodically crafted with precision, bringing out the spirit, essence and beauty of my subjects, spending days, sometimes weeks on each work. The result is something tangible that I feel creates an emotional response. I can achieve a far higher level of detail from this beautiful black volcanic sand, and feel that this is my greatest body of work to date.
Vinyl Art Works
Volcanic Sand Art Works
Bio
Born in 1981, Ben Riley is an accomplished British artist, based in Staffordshire – merging the boundaries of art & music. Since his early life, music had played a significant role in the journey to professional artist. Studying the academics of art since his teenage years, Riley has established a number of signatures, which include concept art, and crossover techniques.
Since 2002, Ben has been able to deliver his art professionally to an international audience focusing on iconic & stimulating portraiture worldwide, gaining notoriety in the capture of mood, soul and character of a subject. With an accolade of celebrity & professional collectors to his books, Ben’s commissioned pieces have featured proudly throughout media, television and press worldwide.
“The human face is a landscape of detail, showing its lifelong adventure. Each one unique to the rest, the story changes each time holding a multitude of twists and turns. The eyes, the mouth, the skin, the tell-tale signs of the life and journey – captured in the peaks and troughs of the lines, just like the vinyl record. Each feature is its own song, each subject – its own genre, and living phonograph of mood, feeling, character and sheer existence… beautiful…”
Life
