Name: Benjamen Purvis
Location: Ballard — Seattle, Washington
My style mixes colorful Pop Art with warm, earthy traditionals. Most of the artwork I have on display is my own — the "Hard Day's Night"-era Beatles made out of Legos; the Lichtenstein-esque Superman painting; the Warhol-esque Coke can painting and soup can labels, plus others that aren't in these shots. Painting for me isn't really a passion or even a hobby (I don't enjoy the process at all!); it's just a cost-saving way for me to have original art in my home. I work as a magazine art director for a living.
I live in a 900 square foot apartment in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, with a slobbery English Bulldog and a relentlessly shedding British Shorthair. (My recent Roomba purchase has given me a new lease on life.) I have a pony wall separating the living/dining/kitchen/office area from my bedroom, and the only natural light I get are from the three windows in the living/dining/kitchen/office area, which faces a courtyard and another building.
BENJAMEN'S IMAGES
• 1 Next to the refrigerator I keep a small collection of lunch boxes. I painted the Coke can using paint markers, and imitated the look of screen printing by intentionally painting it off-registration (the red shifts to the left).
• 2 Living room/dining area. I recently bought a Dutch bicycle that I keep in here. In those black boxes are my DVD/Blu-ray collection, which I keep in alphabetical order. It took me 40 hours to assemble those Beatles heads from Legos back in 2002. I made the patterns using Lego's now-defunct Brick-o-lizer online tool.
• 3 My living room. That Pulp Fiction poster in the lower left is in a theater-style frame that illuminates it from the back.
• 4 I have exposed shelving in my kitchen, so I wanted to put something there that would pop. So I made 16 different Warhol-esque soup can labels, and applied them to cans of Target tomato sauce (48 cents each).
• 5 I keep various art supplies in these jars stored in an old wooden Coke crate on top of the bookcase next to my desk. I'm a big Coke enthusiast (although I only drink Diet).
Thanks Benjamen!
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Stanley Console by ...
Seattle represent!
So, I don't see this Lichtenstein-esque Superman painting in the photos. It sounds really cool!
Nice work on the other art as well.
So surprised and pleased to see this sort of design aesthetic in Ballard. I just love that place! You've inspired me to rethink my own North Seattle square footage. Thanks for sharing your wonderful home with us.
Wow, I am so happy to see another Seattle person here and also pleasantly surprised to see such a cool, urban looking place in Ballard. Nice job!
Awesome!
Thanks, guys! I've added some extra photos on my Web site:
http://benjamen.net/blog/?p=1619
V cool! I am... sorry you don't enjoy the process more. Congratulations on the roomba? XD
FINALLY, a little Seattle in the Apartment Therapy mix!
Love the house. So quirky and yet calm. That combo never fails to impress :)
So impressive!
I love it! The soup can labels are especially creative. I have a huge wall but no $$ for art - you inspire me...
Love, love LOVE the soup cans!
I felt a connection to the cans and then I saw you had the same jimmy corrigan lunch box
Love for Seattle. Your place is great, I was really impressed!
LOVE the Beatles prints... i'm inspired
Hey, I checked out your additional photos, and the Superman painting is cool, but I LOVE the Charlie Brown painting!
I'm so glad you guys like this!
Anittah, I bought my bike from Dutch Bike Co. Seattle, which is in my neighborhood. It's a WorkCycles Opa:
http://www.dutchbikeseattle.com/_product_77092/WorkCycles_Opa
Thanks, Emmelemm! That Charlie Brown painting was inspired by Tom Everhart's "Get a Grip." When I realized I couldn't even afford a lithograph (it went for something like $1,800 at the time, and now goes for around $3,000), I decided to make my own, in colors that worked with my palette.
Here's the original:
http://www.mykelfineart.com/images/GetAGripLarge.jpg
love it!
great apt-love the artwork. saw the additional photos-your furry friends are gorgeous and the photos of them are beautiful :)
You are brilliant....very talented. I covet your space.
Love all the art, very cool. Love the whole space!