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catapult magazine: unite.learn.serve

Do You Hear What I Hear?
Volume 4 , Number 23 ::::: 2005-12-16 — 2005-12-29

Life in a box

by Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma

Ben Keys is an emerging artist whose passion for painting can be traced back to the influence of his mother, painter Jeanie Collin Keys; the strong ties of his family to their European roots; and his European travels. In 2003, Keys studied painting with Dan Gustin at the Art Institute of Chicago, and spent the summer of 2004 in Italy at the International School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture in Umbria. Keys has a unique perspective on the transforming effect that Art can have on the individual, as he was once a business major at Virginia Tech and worked in the "dot com" world before devoting himself to painting. He currently resides in Wilmington, North Carolina and is working on a home portrait series for Wrightsville Cottage, Inc.

What are the origins of the TV Head series?

As a new Christian, I felt a need to mass communicate. I wanted to use the most legible and contemporary visual language I could find. After several months of looking, I found it on the cover of an AOL promo CD. It was a "eureka" moment inspired by the AOL running man logo. I started the series the next day.

Who or what informs the images?

Other than the AOL iconography, and Dilbert, the subject matter is drawn from life: observations of human behavior, preferences, obsessions, conversations, perceived values, relationships to technology, my experiences working in the dot-com world and my intuitive responses to these experiences. Sitting at an IHOP one Sunday, images started coming to me. I quickly jotted down ideas for several paintings. Most of the series came to me that way, in the form of logos. All I did was make alterations to create more paintings.

What is the relationship between the graphic style of the series and the content?

The graphic style is the culmination of mass media languages and the product of a rapid, global, commercial communication need. I use the style to address the condition symptomatic of it. The relationship is Irony.

What are your hopes for those viewing the works in the TV Head series?

My hope is to expose the artificiality of the commercial-reality paradigm by signifying spiritual conditions caused by it.

What is TV Head's "spiritual condition"?

TV Head is a consumer. His spiritual condtion is regulated by media input and his consumptive patterns. Re-Pete and Hooked are the most concise descriptions of his condition. Hooked illustrates his media need, and Re-Pete expresses his media output. However, all images serve as character witnesses and I welcome the viewer to discover facets of his personality that I have not intended.

Talk about TV Head as a character. Is he an abstract of things that are wrong with society or do you--does God--find something to love in him? Is there anything authentic in, for example, the expression of joy in Tubilation or the interpersonal connection in Compatibility or are we, the viewers expected to respond only to the flaws in ourselves as revealed by the TV Head world?

TV Head is very lovable. His character is constructed of media responses and viewpoints. At times his behavior reminds us of our own. His responses are all authentic but misguided. Because he has no Scriptural belief system, he relies solely on taste and preferences for all of his choices. The media is his voice of God. And his God, who created him, loves him.

What is the significance of the small planets that make an appearance as sharply curved horizon lines in pieces like Envy-Us and Moon Landing?

The outer space scenes are indicative of his state of mind. He makes no distinction between reality and fantasy. Due to the confusing juxtaposition of fantasy and reality on television and his bionic connection, he makes no differentiation between television and his own life, hence the blast-offs into outer space. The moon is one of his favorite places to go because it is where heroes travel. Vicariously, he is an astronaut.

Flags appear in several of the paintings. How does TV Head generally feel about patriotism and the United States? About religion? Where does he get his opinions?

TV Head is pro-democracy because it facilitates his consumer ideals. He loves the United States because it is a land of free choice and he has the privilege of exercising these rights at all times. He doesn't know any different. TV Head loves religion as long as he gets to choose. He has no opinions. He is free from this responsibility because the media has obliterated his ability to think, hence the blank screen. But at least he has fun doing it.

How do you feel the TV Head series communicates your values as they emerge from your faith?

TV Head represents a comparison to faith. All works of art carry a latent worldview. TV Head presents a standard for worthy comparison.

TV Head as a series is a celebration of freedom in Christ's victory and in the United States. I hope to achieve irony in all of my works: the impact of joy and other layers of other meaning which resonate deeper, more profound truths. The Weathered Man is the culmination of this statement in the series and was the final painting I created as an end cap to punctuate my overall intention. All works are full of symbols and made for the purpose of viewing pleasure and entertaining meaning possibilities. My hope is to instill joy and peace and love in all works by the use of bright color, line, humor and irony. I experienced tremendous joy creating the series and hope the viewers will be able to engage in and share in this fun experience.

Original paintings are available at Keys' web site. 11 x 17 posters of all images are available for $19.99 by e-mail.