Gel monochrome 1, 2016 / oil on linen / 56 x 80 in
Silicone painting 1, 2016 / oil on linen / 21 x 30 in
Silicone painting 2, 2016 / oil on linen / 28 x 42 in
Installation view, Post-Psychedelic Dreams, Grey Area / Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, East Hampton, NY, 2014
Molly Drawing #1, 2014 / ink on chromatography paper soaked in liquid MDMA / 18.5 x 22.5 in
Codeine Drawing, 2015 / ink on chromatography paper soaked in Codeine solution / 18.25 x 22.2 in
Vodka Drawing #1, 2014 / vodka and ink on chromatography paper / 18.5 x 22.5 in
Silicate Painting, 2016 / oil on paper / 20 x 30 inches
TiO2, C34H22Cl2N4O2, C18H32O2, C10H16, C20H30O2, AgX, 2010 / oil on linen / 28 x 38.35 in
Installation view, MaximumStrengthAgeDefy / Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2014
C10H22O7 + C10H16 + C18H32O2, 2011 / oil on canvas / 66 x 108 in
C10H22O7 + C10H16 + C18H32O2, 2011 / oil on canvas / 30 x 41 in
Installation view,MaximumStrengthAgeDefy / Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2014
Still Life With Fruit Flavors, 2013 / ink on chromatography paper soaked in 5-hour Energy / 4.5 x 5.5 in
Synergasm, 2013, ink on chromatography paper soaked in Viagra solution / 4.5 x 5.5 in
The Crimes of Paris (Pink Hair Gel), 2008 / oil on canvas / 64 x 197 in
Science, 2007 / oil on canvas / 64.5 x 96 in
Makeup, Perfume, 2009 / oil on linen / 28 x 42 in
Darkness, 2007 / oil on canvas / 64 x 96 in
Dream of the Centerless World, 2007 / oil on canvas / 64 x 182 inches
By photographing paint and luxurious ephemera at close range, then using the resulting image as his subject, Ben Weiner creates works that pose a confusion of object, subject and medium. Weiner's paintings harness the idolatrous fetishistic desire of consumer culture, the fashion industry, and the art world. Thus, his paintings self-critically describe the duality of their own identity as both transcendent creation and commercial item. Likewise, all of the themes and references in the paintings reinforce their status as consumer/art objects. Roland Bathes' application of Freud's concept of "the uncanny" to landscape photography is the pertinent reference.
Weiner (b. 1980, Burlington, VT) received his BA from Wesleyan University (CT). He also studied under Mexican muralist José Lazcarro at Universidad de las Americas (Mexico) and has worked closely with artists Jeff Koons, Kim Sooja and Amy Yoes as an assistant. He has exhibited his work widely across the United States and in Mexico with solo shows in Los Angeles, New York and Puebla, and group exhibitions in Chicago, New York, Miami, New Haven, Ridgefield, Los Angeles and Riverside. His paintings can be found in the Sammlung/Collection (Germany), the Progressive Collection (OH), and the Frederick R. Weisman Foundation Collection (CA). The artist lives and works in New York City.
