The Paint and Mixed Media Portfolio of Ben Reeves

An installation view of three paintings by Ben ReevesBetween Dog & Wolf (installation view)

Ben Reeves is an artist based in Vancouver, BC. In his practice, Reeves uses a heavy, layered application of paint and mixed media, along with deep and cohesive colour palettes, to create works that express familiar themes and landscapes in a new and fascinating light.


A painting consisting of a large blob of mixed oil paintUntitled

 

I’m really enjoying the works in Reeve’s recent series Between Dog & Wolf. The works in this series comprise a number of dense landscapes and scenes, varying in size from relatively small, to wall-sized compositions. Several of the works seem to depict an arrangement of tents amid sparse, alien-looking trees. The heavy, dark blue palette and repetition of similar forms creates a mysterious atmosphere in these paintings, and their placement in the gallery across from a smaller, brighter landscape builds further intrigue.

 

In previous works, Reeves has looked at the way water -- specifically, raindrops -- serves to refract light and images. In some paintings, a gesturally-painted figure is partially obscured by large, textured blobs of thick oil paint, serving as raindrops on a car window or another surface.


A painting of city lights seen from a forested areaUntitled

Written by: Dallas Jeffs
Explore more artworks

Become a featured artist

You can't be featured if you don't submit!
40,000 people are waiting to discover your artwork today.