It's Always Been There

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, PERSONALLY
AND IN THE ART WORLD?
I wish I was less addicted to social
media and the internet. It starts
when I find myself scrolling through
Instagram far more than I should.
Instagram is an amazing platform
for someone who is interested
in art because it is a visual
platform and you can keep tabs on
all your favourite artists. It is
actually changing the game. People
are buying art off of Instagram
and using Instagram as a place
to exhibit art which seems a bit
bizarre. But the way social media
paints this picture of everyone’s
lives is really, really damaging.
WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ART AS A
TEENAGER?
I didn’t have a relationship with
art, or fashion. I had the worst
fashion sense out of anyone I knew.
I got into graffiti, and through
that began to expand my horizons
and gain a wider appreciation of
art. I did art GCSE and sucked
at it. I guess my relationship
with art was a bit different.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO LONDON?
A job. I worked for a commercial
gallery in central London for
three and a half years. It was a
good platform from which to do
my own thing and it taught me a
lot, but at the same time it was
a little soul destroying. Money
was a big part of it. I became
less and less enthused with the
art and quit to do more of this.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
CARHARTT WIP?
Durability. I’ve worn Carhartt for
years. I’m wearing the first bit of
Carhartt I ever owned right now. I
bought it when I was fifteen after
I saw La Haine for the first time.
I tracked it down on eBay and wore
it religiously for years. It still
makes an appearance every winter. It’s
looking good, it’s faded nicely. I
think that what’s interesting about
Carhartt is that it’s workwear but
it’s cool, even though it’s designed
for functionality over aesthetic.
It’s great, it lasts. It looks good
as well.
166 / BEN BROOME