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B E N J A M I N  S O U T H A R D  -  B E A U T Y  I N  A D V E R T I S E M E N T

This work is not influenced by any formal art study, in truth, the pursuit
of art entered Benjamin’s life periodically when things were chaotic. This
is his main coping mechanism, connecting him to more than himself. As
such, there is no main theme to what is depicted here. Thank you for
accepting a window into your world.

Benjamin works from a place of poverty, living on the streets of San
Francisco, though he considers himself wealthy in non-material means.
Generally, he works with inadequate street lighting, and often under
circumstances that can only make the existence of this art a stream of
miracles.

Most of this is inspired from the free art all around us, it’s called
Advertising! Just the other day, Benjamin went down to 7th street and
was painting off the wall there. Through advertisement, art is free...and
if you don’t like it, you can take it and make it your own. This is one of
his main philosophies of life. It’s the artist’s opinion that it’s not too hard
to find beauty when we live in such a visually stimulating environment.
Often the source inspiring this work is from photography.

We all need to program ourselves, and it is a social responsibility for us to
mind ourselves. Benjamin’s art takes what comes from advertisements,
arguably one of the main ways we are subconsciously programmed.
He hopes you see that, through this expression, anyone can reprogram
themselves. And in that process, they can offer beauty to the world.

He states “There is benefit in everything I do and everything that
happens to me. I dare you to defy that you are not loved by God, or the
universe, or whatever you want to call it. My own life is a mind-boggling
miracle, and the very fact you are getting to see any of my expression
today is just the tip of the iceberg of the tenderness to be found in my
heart. I am warm, regardless of where I find rest.”

He tries to use materials that will last a thousand years at least. Though
he used to have a hard rule that he would not spend money on materials,
and would simply use what he could find. Now he enjoys being more
intentional with his supplies so that they can last. He began with nail
polish, and mostly acrylics with ink, sometimes marker or brush applied.
His art strives to be durable and beautiful.