Ben Tankard with his ‘Unpopular Penguin’ paintings. Photo: Jordan Wheatley.
If you keep a close eye on the Australian art scene, you will no doubt have noticed Ben Tankard’s signature ‘Monopoly’ and ‘Unpopular Penguin’ paintings appearing in exhibitions, at art fairs and on social media.
Fun, familiar, instantly identifiable and ever evolving, Ben’s paintings are collected by art lovers across the country and around the globe. As well as putting in long hours while establishing his name, Ben attributes some of his success to good fortune.
We asked Ben how that good fortune helped him to make the transition to full-time painting, how he keeps his themed work progressing and what he sees as the key challenges of running his art business.
Interview by Lisa Doust.
When did you first start painting?
I was always interested in art. I drew constantly as a kid and after high school I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts. I’m not sure what I was thinking I would do for a living – I assumed I would just have to have a ‘regular’ job and have artmaking as a hobby, and that was the reality for a long time. For 15 years I worked in a bookshop and painted after hours.
When and how did you make the move to full-time painting?
It used to be that I painted in any spare time I could find but I’ve been a full-time artist for over seven years now and work from my studio in the Blue Mountains. The transition and a lot of success for me has come from good luck. Firstly, I was included in several art prizes, which was good for my confidence and credibility.
Secondly, I was producing a lot of work at a time when social media actually reached followers without having to be paid for, which is no longer the case. And thirdly, I got into online gallery Bluethumb, before it was too crowded, which led to a lot of sales.
To go with the luck, I have always worked very long hours at painting. In extreme cases, in the lead up to exhibitions, I’ve worked up to 18 hours a day, which is from before my kids go to school until after midnight. I’m not recommending this but it’s how I’ve been able to get so much done.
When did you first start painting Penguin books and Monopoly boards, and what inspired these themes?
The Penguin paintings started in 2015 and the Monopoly paintings a year or so later. Visually, the inspiration came from the paintings of 20th century American painter Jasper Johns, who took familiar and ‘flat’ 2D images, such as the US flag, and created richly textured and layered paintings.
My paintings generally have 10 to 20 layers of paint and I try to build up interesting surfaces that are very ‘imperfect’, with drips and lumps and splatters, which is why I called the book paintings ‘Unpopular Penguins’.
Beyond the visual impetus, I also just have a love of books and boardgames, and the imagery resonates with a great number of people.
What have been the benefits of exploring themes, and how do you keep the work evolving?
With the Monopoly paintings, I can inject humour into them, or ironic commentary on capitalism and consumerism, or relate them to songs and movies and current events – they’re very versatile. I also like to alter the colours and compositions and play with different materials.
How do you market and sell your work, and what are the challenges of running your art business?
I do very little direct selling and haven’t been taking commissions for several years. I rely on several galleries and art dealers, and just post regularly on Instagram.
My main challenge is time management and trying to find a balance between work and life, and also a balance between painting for shows and the more experimental or uncommercial things I would like to paint. I haven’t had time to enter any prizes for several years, or go to life drawing classes, which I’ve done in the past and feel the need to get back into.
You painted live at the recent Sydney Affordable Art Fair and at last year’s Melbourne Affordable Art Fair… What goals do you set yourself as part of this process?
For both fairs I chose to paint mostly with black acrylic paint, basically just drawing onto the canvas so that I could be interrupted every few minutes and not much could go wrong because I wasn’t mixing colours or using lots of brushes.
On both occasions I worked on similar large-scale paintings with a fair degree of confidence that I could complete them on time. It was great talking with all the visitors and with other artists. There were some funny and thought-provoking questions about what I was doing and why – these interactions are really useful to an artist who generally paints in solitude.
I’ll be painting live for a third time in Melbourne soon, and I’m choosing to use more colours and more complex subjects, so things could get interesting!
FOR YOUR DIARY:
• From 29 August to 1 September, Ben will be attending the Melbourne Affordable Art Fair with SARAH BIRTLES Art + Advice and will be installing a ‘Reading Room’ filled with book-themed sculptures.
• From 7-10 November, Ben will be represented at the Singapore Affordable Art Fair by SARAH BIRTLES Art + Advice.
• In March 2025, Ben will be exhibiting paintings inspired by a range of board games other than Monopoly at The Toowoomba Gallery.
Follow Ben via @ben_tankard_art or visit benjamintankard.com