Ben Neal - Biog Date of Birth : 25.10.79
In 1998 at the age of 18 Ben produced a series of works while still at college. One of which was Sado-Masochistic Suicide Embryo Boy - a distressing performance, involving a smeared polythene pod, scaffold and a mountaineering harness. His initial departure was an installation called 'Invasion of the Intruders' in which participants where asked to venture into a completely light-less, darkroom and sit and watch TV. On entering the viewer walks through a short corridor and enters a space in which a veiled doll sits amongst bottles and other props. The viewer, while seated next to the mannequin, watched a video containing violent but comic book-like imagery, mundane domestic scenes and a strange, male actor being followed around streets and into cellars. Other works of around this time include; a re-make
of Pulp-Fiction in which the
actors are replaced by dolls; a child's colouring book of the story of
the Moor's murderers; and a performance in which the artist is nailed
to a wall on a plinth, wearing a boiler suit before a checkered pattern
of Marmite and toothpaste, alongside live band and a desk of judges. On returning to University, Ben's work made a shift into computer and audio-based artwork, partially due to his recovery from the accident. The final work shown in the degree exhibition was a piece called Bed. Bed is a computer game based on avoidance and damage restriction which was projected onto the ceiling over a hospital bed, in which participant were invited to lie. On leaving University, Ben applied for jobs in computer related design without success, finally enrolling on a Masters Degree in Visual Communications, again at UCE, and began developing multimedia software. This PHLUMX software has since been a staple of his Audio-Visual performance and a product of his Multimedia studio Psicon Lab. He has since become the driving force behind MaggotHouse, it's events and many of the projects held within.
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