Ben Eine

Rooted in the subcultural practice of graffiti, Ben Eine moved into the more socially acceptable expression of street art in the early 2000s as a way to become a full time artist creating public works that were perceived as more legitimate. However, his fundamental art practice has essentially remained the same--he continues to paint words and letters on walls on the street. Letters either appear alone, on shutter fronts, or as words on walls such as 'scary', 'vandalism', and 'monsters' rendered in bright and amiable colors. In this way he turns negative words into positive ones. The contrast of jovial shapes and colors with dark sentiment is also a tongue-and cheek nod to the artist’s furtive and taboo origins as a graffiti writer.