Wide Sargasso Sea | Unpopular Penguin 940

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

This original painting by Ben Tankard is created with artist-grade acrylic paints on canvas. The surface is richly textured, built up of multiple layers, with lumps and drips and spatters. The sides of the canvas are painted, and the painting is sealed beneath a glossy varnish. It is signed and titled on reverse.

We pack our paintings with great care, first we start with high-quality bubble wrap and then create custom boxes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. Inside you will find a certificate of authenticity to ensure provenance.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ben Tankard is a painter living and working in the Blue Mountains. He worked for fifteen years in a bookstore, prior to becoming a full-time artist five years ago. Books and art have been life-long obsessions and Ben often combines the two. 



The primary artistic inspiration for his works is twentieth century artist Jasper Johns, who took iconic images such as the American flag and recreated them as abstract paintings, rich with texture. Ben takes popular book covers and boardgames and recreates them on canvas in a dramatic way, with thick overlapping layers of paint, drips, splatters and splashes. This contrast between the original clean designs and the expressionistic paintwork results in fresh, energetic works that also appeal to our sense of nostalgia. The paintings often have a sense of humour, incorporating new text which gives the imagery satirical or surrealistic meaning.

Ben studied Fine Arts at the University of Western Sydney and has been a finalist in the Mosman Art Prize, Sulman Prize, Calleen Art Award and the Gallipoli Art Prize, and was the winner of the 2019 Hawkesbury Art Prize.

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