{9} The Gallery Presents "Benjam: Blur" for October First Friday

PHOENIX - Sept. 19, 2019 - PRLog -- {9} The Gallery proudly presents the intricate work of internationally-recognized stencil artist Benjam in a featured exhibition, Blur, opening October 4th, 6-10 PM. Inspired to blur the lines between classical and contemporary, Benjam takes a fresh take on classical masterpieces through the medium of stencil art. Each piece in this groundbreaking series reimagines how the Old Masters might have approached their art in modern times, influenced by contemporary views on politics, religion and censorship.

"I focused my eyes and energy on Michelangelo's sculptures, in addition to work that inspired him, as I have always held an affinity for these creations. I see parallels in how he described seeing a figure in a block of marble and carved away until setting it free, similarly to the way my paintings are created by carving details into paper layer by layer until the final image is revealed. Through this process, I'm exploring the possibilities of the stencil medium, pushing the technique further to see what can be accomplished visually." - Benjam

Benjamin Goens, known as Benjam, is a stencil artist based in Gilbert Arizona. He creates mixed media original artwork utilizing hand cut stencils and aerosol paints on various surfaces. His process includes up to 20 hand-cut stencil layers in a single image, used to apply vast colors of aerosol paints as well as various other mediums to create photorealistic tonal gradations in his imagery.

Benjam received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art History and traveled extensively across Europe to study the art of classical antiquity and European masters, which has greatly influenced his work. "At, the same time, I have always held a fascination for hip-hop culture, graffiti, and the evolution of street art which inspired me to begin cutting my first stencils in 2008." In 2017, he was named as a finalist in the prestigious Stencil Art Prize held in Australia. In 2018, he was a recipient of the inaugural Carmody Foundation Grant Project and recently participated in the inaugural Phoenix Mural Festival. Benjam has shown his work extensively in both solo and group exhibitions in the Phoenix metropolitan area, the UK and Australia. His work can be found private collections around the world.

Benjam: Blur runs through the month of October at {9} The Gallery.

{9} The Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Phoenix's Grand Avenue District. Founded in 2012, the gallery is committed to showing local, national, and international artists of the highest quality. For more information, visit http://9thegallery.com.