Ben Snead

I paint natural specimens from field guides and arrange them into patterns and configurations, sometimes seen through a kaleidoscope. Usually the species in a work are related, either by a scientific classification system or a personal one, such as grouping fish that have spots but are not of the same species. In my design “Departures and Arrivals”, a public mosaic installed in a downtown Brooklyn New York subway station, introduced fish and birds to Brooklyn form a woven pattern. The Argentine Monk parakeet is included, which is thought to have escaped from shipping containers at JFK airport in the early 70’s, brought to the USA to be sold as pets. The painting “Odd Ducks” is a mirrored pattern composed of unusual specimens, although no ducks are present. In another work, a drawing of a crumpled frog makes it clear that this image was arrived at from a picture of a frog on a piece of paper.