Illustrator of the Month : Ben Pier
Does music inspire your work?
“Yes, absolutely.”
Do you remember the first picture that made you want to create ? What was it? Would you mind sharing it with us ?
“Well, I remember seeing this painting when I was a very small child. I remember someone in my family having it hung up in some hallway. It is a very fuzzy memory that has stuck with me my entire life. I remember there being such vivid feelings that struck me whenever I snuck away and looked at it.”
“So that and I was really into records and comic books. I would draw the record covers or try to copy comics for hours a day. I was heavily into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book and the Simpsons when I was very young. I made my own comic books and would cut out cardboard guitars and draw strings on them and pretend to play them when I was 5 or 6.
If your art was a song, what would it be? Why?
“Well, I’d like it to be a Jawbreaker song. Like, I want to think of them as having this depth and intensity with really big arrangements…beautiful and catchy but still smart and sad. But the truth is my photos are probably more like a Blink-182 song: short and fast, catchy as hell and pure heart without too much pomp and circumstance. They are brief and bright.
I want things to have a sense of humor even if it’s a dark one… colorful and candy coated even if that coating is chipped away and black. Wow, that was so goth.”
If you could shoot one artist for his album cover, who would it be? Why?
“This is a tough one. I’d say Rico Nasty would be really fun to work with right now. I like her sensibilities and I think she’d be a great collaborator aesthetically.”
Is there a song on Kitsuné Musique you think would have been great for you to shoot with ?
“Dancing Anymore by Is Tropical is a bop. That would be fun on set or just cruising around looking for weird shit.”
Now that you have linked your pictures with music, what other art would you like to explore?
“I’m not done with photography and music yet.”