We recently connected with Ben Guidry and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Most of what I learned about visual arts is through trial and error, and older mentors that I have met throughout the years. I find that when I am feeling too comfortable or automatic with my art practices, that is when I am learning very slowly. Speeding up the learning process includes a lack of comfort as one must open themselves up to make mistakes and be able to reflect on them. General skills that I find are most essential include perseverance and adaptability. The willingness to take risks in the face of failure is intrinsic to any artistic practice, and it is when I get myself out of my comfort zone that progress the fastest.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I began my artistic career studying painting at the University of Louisiana Lafayette where I learned art history and theory, as well as developed an interest in international politics and economics. As an artist I explored political themes including inequalities under capitalism and the ideological narratives that fuel said contradictions. Most of my work was inspired by the digital discourses and political media spectacles which characterized the 2010s and the changing political landscape that came with the Trump campaign of 2016. While developing my artistic practice through illustration and painting, I also began a music career, working with hip hop musicians and taking part in the second line group New Natives Brass Band. In 2015 I collaborated with the artist LVCD to create the hip hop duo thestreetcorner, a group which released two studio albums and performed in multiple states including Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.

In 2017 I had my first solo exhibition entitled “Azonal” at the Acadiana Center for the Arts which included paintings, illustrations, and an installation. The show focused on contemporary international tensions like Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Palestine, and Syria, as they related to geography and natural resources. At the show’s opening I held an art performance in which I painted, recited poetry and philosophy, and rapped original songs. This performance was highly influential for future artistic shows and collaborations as I utilized this medium onstage and in galleries.

In 2018 I co-founded the art collective Willingly Rejected which focused on incporation of all artistic media and engaging with the local community. With this collective we organized pop-up art shows, music and performance events, an art exhibition in a local gallery, and a protest around removing a confederate statue in downtown Lafayette, LA.

In 2019 I began to transition my artistic practice towards photography and videography in an attempt to capture the political world that was unfolding as it related to Trump’s presidency and the subsequent COVID lockdowns. In 2021 I moved to Philadelphia, PA to study media theory at Temple University. During graduate school I worked on multiple video projects that were influenced by the horror genre as well as thinkers like Marx, Nietzsche, Stuart Hall, and Guy Debord.

I am currently working on a horror video channel entitled Dark Contradictions which considers the various contradictions of capitalism as it relates to physical space and history. Our first large project “In This House,” is in development and scheduled to release in December of 2024. I also offer musicians and other artists with video visuals which can be used for performances, music videos, visualizers, or anything else the client sees fit.

I have also begun self-publishing my work (photography, writing, and visual art) in zines and small art books with Guidry Press, an art book press which I co-founded with my sister. One work that I am particularly excited about is the collaborative series “Posted!” which examines the overlaps between graffiti and memes as people’s media. I am currently working on an art book which analyses the crisis of capital displacement and gentrification in Philadelphia. Additionally, I am compiling a collection of photographs dating back to 2019 to make a photo and poetry book entitled “Bruh Dis Merrica.”

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

During the period of 2017-2021 I applied to multiple national and international artist residencies. I unfortunately was not accepted into any of them. Although this consistent rejection was disappointing, it made me reflect more on why I created art in the first place. It was at this time that I started to focus on documentation and video work which I realize now that I love.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to eventually open a space which includes an art book store, a visual art gallery space, and a live event space that can be used to hold workshops and concerts alike. The purpose of this space would be to give creatives a place to network, perform, get their work shown in a gallery, or stocked in a store. I find great joy in community engagement and fostering spaces for artists to get their voice out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benguidryart.com
• Instagram: @awkward_glances & @guidry_press
• Facebook: Ben Guidry
• Youtube: @Darkcontradictions
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thecornerofthestreet/tracks &. https://soundcloud.com/awkward-glances