Ben Denzer is an artist and publisher. He is interested in books, the physicality of images, playing with value, focusing a view and finding moments of humor. Ben studied architecture and visual arts at Princeton and received an MFA at RISD, where he made a thesis book physically larger than the RISD Fleet library.
Along with his studio practice, Ben designs and publishes books under the imprint Catalog Press and is a frequent visual contributor to The New York Times and The New Yorker. Ben has taught courses at SVA, Parsons, RISD and Center for Book Arts and has been an artist-in-residence at Mount Auburn Cemetery and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
Ben’s work has been collected by The Met, The Guggenheim, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the University of Oxford among other institutions. His work has been recognized by the Art Directors Club, Young Guns 16, Society of Illustrators, AIGA, AI-AP and The New York Times.
Courses
Fall 2024 Courses
GRAD 144G-01 - WHAT NEXT? (MAKING A) LIVING AS AN ARTIST
LevelGraduate
UnitFine Arts
Subject Graduate Studies
Period Fall 2024
Credits 3
FormatSeminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
GRAD 144G-01
WHAT NEXT? (MAKING A) LIVING AS AN ARTIST
LevelGraduate
UnitFine Arts
Subject Graduate Studies
PeriodFall 2024
Credits3
FormatSeminar
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-09-04 to 2024-12-11
Times: M | 1:10 PM - 4:10 PMInstructor(s): Ben DenzerLocation(s): College Building, Room 410Enrolled / Capacity: 20Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
For this Professional Practices course, we will look at the practical possibilities for your life after art school. Emphasis will be on balancing your artistic practice with the financial demands of everyday life, on integrating your career path(s) with your artistic values and integrity, and on developing “branching paths” that open new possibilities.
We will explore various avenues, such as exhibiting in galleries and museums, starting a business, working on commissions, art writing, social practice, and forming a collective, a publication, or an independent gallery. We will look at the current financial, practical, and ethical ramifications of each of these avenues. We will explore what matters when deciding where, geographically, to begin your career.
We will learn such skills as developing proposals, presentations, artists’ statements, and resumes; and of obtaining grants, residencies, commissions, art-related employment, studio space, and representation. We will also touch on art law, copyright, budgeting, and taxes for artists.
We will meet RISD alumni who are currently developing their careers as artists and designers, hearing about their paths from graduation to living as artists. There will be guest speakers from galleries, public art agencies, and design businesses. There will some readings and course resources.
