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Ben Skinner
Biography

Ben Skinner’s practice explores the nature of language through the use of text and materiality. Calling on a vast knowledge of materials and methods, Skinner applies his hand to concepts that are by turn ironic, witty, introspective and questioning. His works often combine mechanical production methods common in sign making with traditional materials and techniques such as hand-applied gold leaf and silk marbling. His conceptual practice moves him between an expanding list of media including foil, flocking, plaster, vinyl lettering, plastics, neon and mirror. Skinner has a keen eye for finishes that borders on obsessive, resulting in highly polished works with a quasi-fetish quality. 


Ben has his BFA from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and his MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ben currently shows with Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary, Winsor Art Projects in Vancouver, Mayberry Fine Art in Toronto, and UpRise Art in NYC.

EDUCATION

2003 • MFA, Art and Technology. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

2000 • BFA, Interdisciplinary Fine Arts. Nova Scotia College Of Art and Design

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
2006-PRESENT • Aritzia, Art Director of Visual Display

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018 • "Show Me A Little Poise Without All The Noise" Winsor Art Projects, Vancouver, BC.

2018 • "Cymatic Semantics" Herringer-Kiss Gallery, Calgary, AB.

2018 • "I Don't Know How This Will Sound But Here It Goes" Solo show, Mayberry Fine Art, Toronto, ON.

2016 • "I Will Not Be Entranced By Nostalgia" Solo show, K. Imperial Fine Art San Francisco, CA.

2016 • "I Will Not Be Entranced By Nostalgia" Solo show, Mayberry Fine Art Toronto, ON.

2015 • Ben Skinner, Solo show, Modus Art Gallery, Paris, France.

2014 • “Colouring Outside and Reading Between” Solo Show, Back Gallery Project, Vancouver, BC

2012 • “Up For the Challenge Down For the Repercussions” Solo Show, Bad Luck Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2012 • “Something Must Be Done” Solo Show, Judith And Norman Alix Art Gallery, Sarnia, ON

2011 • “You Must Have Thought I Was Joking” Solo Show, Cutty Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2011 • “Try A Little Tenderness As Hard As It May Seem” Solo show, Hon_eur Gallery, Washington DC

2010 • “Uttered Lightly” Solo Show, Ledge gallery during Art City Festival, Calgary, AB

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2018 • "Splash" Arts Umbrella Art Auction, Vancouver, BC.
2018 • "Sampler 2018" Herringer-Kiss Gallery, Calgary, AB.
2018 • "Summer Group Exhibition" Mayberry Fine Art, Toronto, ON.
2018 • "Paper Route" Mayberry Fine Art, Toronto, ON.

2017 • "Facade Festival" Public Art Project, Vancouver Art Gallery, Presented by Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver BC.

2017 • "Fall Pop-Up Exhibition" Group show, Winsor Gallery, Vancouver BC.

2017 • "Spring Exhibition" Group show, Winsor Gallery, Vancouver BC.

2017 • "That Night In Toronto" Group show, Mayberry Fine Art, Toronto, ON.

2017 • "Splash" Arts Umbrella Art Auction, Vancouver, BC.

2016 • "No Future Plans" Special Project for Pulse Miami with Uprise Art, Miami, FL.

2016 • "Alex Caldwell and Ben Skinner" Winsor Gallery Vancouver, BC.

2015 • "10-20" Group Show, Mayberry Fine Art, Toronto, ON.

2015 • "Text Me" Group Show, Hazan Projects, New York, NY.

2015 • Hunky Dory" Group Show, K. Imperial Fine Art, San Francisco, CA.

2014 • "Object Object" Group show, Helmuth Projects, San Diego, CA.

2014 • "Jargon" Group show, The Front, New Orleans, LO.

2014 • “Word Up” Group Show, Dunedin Museum of Fine Art, Dunedin, FLA

2012 • “Bu_et” Group Show, AKA design studios, Vancouver, BC

2011 • “The Cheaper Show”, Group Show, Vancouver, BC

2011 • “Beacons”, Group Show, Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI.

2010 • “The Cheaper Show”, Group Show, Vancouver, BC

2008 • “Delusions of Grandeur” Group Show, Unit B Gallery, San Antonio, Texas

PUBLICATION, PUBLICITY, RESIDENCIES

2017 • Artists' residency and collaboration with Genevieve Dionne at "The Annex" Castine, MA.

2014 • Free Agency workspace feature.

2014 • Maker Series feature , Vancouver is Awesome blog.

2014 • Creative Block by Danielle Krysa The Jealous Curator pp. 164-69.

2013 • The Proof, Vancouver Is Awesome.

2011 • Work featured in “enRoute” (Air Canada) magazine. Sep. 2011 p.108.

2011 • Cover story in “Oops!” Vol. 14 No 17 Sep. 2011 pp. 22,23.

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