Die Young is an exhibition of works by iconic Sydney Illustrator, Ben Brown.

Ben’s obsessive-compulsive artistic relationship with skulls and bones is clearly a consequence of being born with super human illustration skills and x-ray vision.

His latest series of candy coloured portraits split Kurt Cobain, James Dean, Sid Vicious, Jimmy Hendrix, Buddy Holly and music’s most recent victim, Amy Winehouse, quite literally, in half. The Andy Warhol inspired comical renders, are part morbid tongue in cheek (or skull) and part eternal depictions (flesh). Die Young salutes popular idols with untimely deaths. As Ben puts it…”the celebrity life-style that we seem to aspire to, had killed them all by the age of 27?

An illustrator for over twenty years, Ben Brown is a regular contributor of comics for editorial, including the notorious surfing publication ‘Stab’. He has designed extensive clothing graphics for brands such as Mambo, Insight, Globe, O’Neill, Rip Curl, Ocean & Earth, Nice Produce and Supply, and he has designed music and festival posters for the likes of Nirvana, Frenzal Rhomb, Silverchair, Fat Boy Slim, The Hoodoo Gurus, Big Day Out, Good Vibrations Festival, Homebake and The Falls Festival.

Die Young opens on the 9th of December from 6pm to 10pm and is on exhibition until the 24th December 2011 at The National Grid Gallery, 24 Chard Rd, Brookvale.

Bens Website

GlamNation is Graphic Designer / Illustrator Dennis Chow, Dennis has some entertaining work on his site

Rick Berkelmans aka Hedof has a certain syle of  attitude, well thought out bringing you a fix of drawn typograpy and illustration. Heldof has featured in a number of shows including “GO FONT YOUR SELF” Which has a new book out soon.
Heldof’s website is well worth a gander and has some prints for sale too.

PRINTS FOR SALE ONLINE

On show will be numbered and signed limited edition prints, plus original works in
ink and paint. The show continues the themes of Bens previous solo show -
‘Kill your Idols’ – which combined celebrity, junk culture, zombies and skulls
in a graphically charged visual extravaganza. These new works pick up
where the previous show left off and the iconic images that are burned in
to our collective cultural psyche are given a new life… albeit as the living dead.

There will be a bonus live performance from  rock ‘n’ roll demons Hong Kong,
who have been burning up various floors around town in recent times with
their melodic skuzzball wall of sound.

Opening Night: Friday 10th December 6-9pm.
Come and join us for a Christmas drink! We have loads of new goodies in the shop too, along with all the latest Art Books and Mags.

Exhibition is open from 11th December to 24th January.