Audio By Carbonatix
Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 31. Ben Willis.
“I guess you could say I don’t get out much,” Ben Willis says.
The 31-year-old Tempe artist and 2014 Contemporary Forum grant winner divvies up most of his time between teaching and creating. “I teach painting and drawing during the school year, but until classes start back up I am working part time at Blick Art Materials in Tempe and locking myself in the studio during off hours,” he says.
See also: Carley Conder of Tempe’s CONDER/dance: 100 Creatives
Originally from Cincinnati, Willis studied art at Ohio’s Miami University and moved to Arizona in 2010 to pursue his master’s in fine art, which he completed in 2013.
And instead of leaving the classroom behind, Willis has kept one foot firmly planted there. This fall, he will teach at ASU, Phoenix College, the Shemer Art Center, and Tempe’s Edna Vihel Center for the Arts. That’ll be when he isn’t locked in said studio.
“I am working on a new series of portraits based on long lasting relationships that will feature swimming, Willie Nelson, canyons, abstraction, road trips, the man bun, dogs, patterns, rivers, hiking, my Princess Bunnies, safety crews, the Bengals, yoga, and low carb diets.”
When he emerges, it’ll be quite the sight.
I came to Phoenix with T-shirts, shorts, flip-flops and I’m pretty sure I brought some underpants.
I make art because it makes me happy.
I’m most productive when I have coffee, music, and doors that lock.
My inspiration wall is full of… my what?
I’ve learned most from the passage of time. It’s similar to looking back on other aspects of your life. Why did I bleach the tips of my hair? Why did I continue to watch Lost after the storyline had dissolved? Revisiting my artwork, however uncomfortable, shows me what I should have done and what I won’t do again.
Good work should always… How about this instead — good work can be anything. There is no single quality that defines it. Viewing art is a personal experience and there are a lot of opinions in the world.
The Phoenix creative scene could use more affordable art. Painters end up with rooms full of unsold pieces that once hung proudly in galleries with ridiculously inflated prices. We create this economy where paintings go unsold and potential customers end up with boring framed posters on their walls. I’m guilty of this myself, but there are times I aspire to be more like my friend Eddie. He once took everything in his studio and set it outside with $20 price tags. Minutes later a pizza delivery guy drove away with a 5-by-6-foot masterpiece strapped to the roof of his beat up Accord. All people deserve to own beautiful, original artwork. At this point artists with fragile egos and attachment issues are the barrier.
See the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives:
100. Bill Dambrova
99. Niki Blaker
98. Jeff Slim
97. Beth May
96. Doug Bell
95. Daniel Langhans
94. Nanibaa Beck
93. Nicole Royse
92. Ib Andersen
91. Casandra Hernandez
90. Chris Reed
89. Shelby Maticic
88. Olivia Timmons
87. Courtney Price
86. Travis Mills
85. Catrina Kahler
84. Angel Castro
83. Cole Reed
82. Lisa Albinger
81. Larry Madrigal
80. Julieta Felix
79. Lauren Strohacker
78. Levi Christiansen
77. Thomas Porter
76. Carrie Leigh Hobson
75. Cody Carpenter
74. Jon Jenkins
73. Aurelie Flores
72. Michelle Ponce
71. Devin Fleenor
70. Noelle Martinez
69. Bucky Miller
68. Liliana Gomez
67. Jake Friedman
66. Clarita Lulić
65. Randy Murray
64. Mo Neuharth
63. Jeremy Hamman
62. La Muñeca
61. Kevin Goldman
60. Emily Costello
59. Kerstin Dale
58. Vara Ayanna
57. Nathaniel Lewis
56. Ruben Gonzales
55. Lisa Poje
54. Bobby Zokaites
53. Frances Smith Cohen
52. Julie Rada
51. David Miller
50. Xanthia Walker
49. Kyllan Maney
48. Cary Truelick
47. Constance McBride
46. James D. Porter
45. Allyson Boggess
44. Abigail Lynch
43. Ashley Cooper
42. Jaclyn Roessel
41. Brandon Boetto
40. Melissa Dunmore
39. Gavin Sisson
38. Rossitza Todorova
37. Monica Robles
36. Josh Kirby
35. Jesse Perry
34. Yai Cecream
33. Nathan Blackwell
32. Carley Conder
