Ben Smith

My painting practice begins with drawing, making sketches in urban locations in south London where I live and work. Returning to the studio I photocopy the drawings and create the compositions for my paintings through collage, using a cut up technique, aiming to mimic the repetition and interchangeability of aspects of the contemporary urban landscape, and the way that familiar landmarks often come to mind that we cannot quite place. 

Very few of my paintings are based on a single drawn image: most are constructed by the collage technique and depict scenes that do not exist in the actual London landscape, perhaps constituting an attempt to portray the geography of our urban surroundings that we carry inside our heads.

Recently I have begun to draw compositions entirely in the studio, using my plein air drawings as reference rather than photocopying them to make up the finished image. This phase of work has brought the human figure more into my paintings. 

For more information on my work feel free to get in touch.