Benjamin Degen

Wholly distinct, Benjamin Degen's paintings, for which he is best known, are defined by a thick application of paint and often portray youths frolicking in pastoral landscapes as they read, have a beer, hike, or swim. Their flat, lanky bodies—executed in shades ranging from tan to red to blue—conjure the cut-out and energetic figures of Henri Matisse. Fluent in the fundamental elements of painting, Degen executes these works through improvisational and experimental methods. 

Degen's original medium of choice was pencil on paper, but as his compositions grew in scale and became more intricate, the artist transitioned to oil painting, watercolor, and sculpture. Despite this evolution, however, Degen’s work remains underpinned by the basics of drawing—in his words, “it’s all about the process of mark-making, whether I’m doing it two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.” Degen’s process involves starting with a basic idea, which he then translates to paper in the form of a simple drawing or small sketch. Once the outline has been determined, only then does Degen settle upon a spectrum of color, and as he paints, the generalities of the sketch are clarified, refined through the act of painting.

Degen’s work has been exhibited widely since the early 2000s, in shows at the Neman Museum in Overland Park,  the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in Summit, and MoMA PS1 in New York, among others. In 2007, he was a resident at Me.di.um in St. Barthelemy, French West Indies.