Ben Brown and Steve Cohen both started their art careers as punk rock fanboys. Their art reflects the DIY ethic which surrounds the underground punk scenes in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Through necessity and a need to unleash their retina burning graphics, both began illustrating flyers, posters, record covers, and t-shirts for their own bands. The point of difference between the two is that Ben got a 25 year jump on Steve in creating art for his favourite music. Ben began working in the potent Sydney scene of the mid 1980’s, while Steve emerged from the now dominant Melbourne scene around 2005. The two struck up a freindship and developed a healthy respect for each others work, so doing a show together is a natural progression. Both artists have an obsession with loud rock music, mostly sloppy, loud, punk infused noise. Their work reflects this and they have created imagery for friends and local bands, as well as some of the planets sickest international exponents of dirty filthy rock’n’roll.
Both artists will be showing a range of recently completed original works, as well as limited edition prints. There will also be an installation representation of a typical punk rock fans bedroom – featuring
loads of posters/ flyers and paraphernalia produced by Steve and Ben, in its native surroundings. The show will reflect the fun and free reign they have when creating psychotic imagery.
*OPENING NIGHT JAN. 20th – 6-8pm
Show runs until Feb. 15th.
RVCA Corner Gallery. ( 82 Stanley St Collingwood )
Gallery Hours: Friday – Saturday – Sunday, 11-4pm
STEVE COHEN (aka Mongo ) is a Melbourne based artist / screen printer. Through sheer necessity he started creating images for flyers, t-shirts and record covers for his own sloppy teenage punk bands near a decade ago. He has since gone on to do work for many others involved in the underground music scene such as Royal Headache, Cosmic Psychos, Poison Idea, DRI, The Meanies, The Hard-Ons, Clowns, Poison City Records, Annihilation Time, Warped etc.
BEN BROWN – draws skulls, metric tonnes of them, and has done for decades. The vocalist of well-loved Northern Beaches band The Hellmenn in the 80’s-90’s saw him inking art for his band as well as hardcore monsters Massappeal. He has consistently created art for bands as diverse as personal favorites Warped, Bored!, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Frenzal Rhomb, Clowns and Beastwars – as well as commercial behemoths like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Silverchair and Foo Fighters. He has also stayed active on the pens & brushes within the surf and skate scenes for over twenty five years.
The art of Steve Cohen and Ben Brown is supported as part of the RVCA Artist Network Program
