Ben Wolf Noam

WORK PORTRAITS PORTRAIT WORK BY BEN WOLF NOAM IS OUT! AND BEN WOLF NOAM’ SHOW: WORK PORTRAITS IS ON VIEW UNTIL MARCH 8TH AT THE JOURNAL GALLERY L.A. In the expanded field of contemporary art, it is common to consider “work” and “pleasure” as one and the same thing. In this sense, it is easy to see how “labor” rapidly doubles as “labor of love,” the subtext being that doing what one enjoys is invaluable no matter what. Inhabiting this dichotomy, Ben Noam’s book Work Portraits Portrait Work is both a visual exploration of work in the cultural field and a statement of personal artistic intentions. Presenting 60 painted portraits of friends from the art world and culture in general, the book is a compendium of artists, musicians, chefs, filmmakers, actors, writers, and academics depicted while laboring in their chosen workplaces. At the same time, it is also a conceptual reflection on the complex nature of work in the cultural field, the relationship between subjectivity and collectivity, self-representation and belonging. The outcome is a surprisingly heartwarming object, somehow suggesting that work in the arts is never solely an individual affair. As Dean Kissick writes in one of the four texts specifically commisioned for the book— with Laura Adler, Gabriel Winant, and Ashley Mears —“art is a communal project.” Furthermore, Work Portraits Portrait Work serves as a record of a specific time and place—most portraits depict people close to Noam himself, often in studios, apartments, cafés—but it does so embodying a fantasy of such time and place. The subjects of the paintings become a community, and this community becomes a character in Ben’s narrative about what making art today might signify: a representation of what artistic representation could look like. WORK PORTRAITS PORTRAIT WORK 160 PAGES 245 × 340 MM 60 COLOUR PLATES ENGLISH PUBLISHED BY ZOLO PRESS CONTRIBUTIONS BY: ASHLEY MEARS DEAN KISSICK GABRIEL WINANT LAURA ADLER @WOLF_NOAM #BENWOLFNOAM #BENNOAM #ASHLEYMEARS @DEANKISSICK #DEANKISSICK #GABRIELWINANT @LAURACKADLER #LAURAADLER @COLOURANDBOOKS @DIEKEUREPRINTING @THEJOURNALGALLERY #THEJOURNALGALLERY

“Work Portraits” is up @thejournalgallery this piece in the window “Self Portrait as a New York artist” was the first painting I made in Chelsea studio. 48”x72” oil on canvas 2023

Good Morning

mom and dad in 2016

It’s 14 days until Hannukah! If you’d like to light your candles on colorful ceramic fungi, get in touch with me. 🍄🍄‍🟫 When I started making mushroom menorahs four years ago I was just having fun, I never thought they would be such a hit. But sometimes art can be silly AND sacred.

Happy Thanksgiving ! 🦃🍁

Dinner Party Drawings & Prints will open this week at Michael’s Santa Monica. The iconic establishment that has fed & nourished the LA art community for 45 years. I made two new lithographs for them that will be releasing for pre-sale now (link in bio). One is a continuation of the Shabbat Drawing Series, and the other is of Uncle Paul’s famous thanksgiving spreads. Printed with master printer @lizbannish at Center for Contemporary Printmaking. Come by, see the show, stay for a meal. Thank you Kim, Chas and Michael (&Clancy) for having us all.

Individuals

Last two days to check out some work portraits at Karma Bookstore in the East Village. Pick up a copy of the book while you’re there. Thank you to Sabrina Blaichman, Matt Shuster and @karmakarma9 for stepping up and hosting the book launch and hanging works after the fire at the Journal in February.

THE MODEL AND THE PORTRAIT. WORK PORTRAITS PORTRAIT WORK BY BEN WOLF NOAM! THANK YOU @karmabookstore AND @thejournalgallery FOR HOSTING THE LAUNCHES! WORK PORTRAITS PORTRAIT WORK 160 PAGES 245 × 340 MM 60 COLOR PLATES ENGLISH PUBLISHED BY ZOLO PRESS In the expanded field of contemporary art, it is common to consider “work” and “pleasure” as one and the same thing. In this sense, it is easy to see how “labor” rapidly doubles as “labor of love,” the subtext being that doing what one enjoys is invaluable no matter what. Inhabiting this dichotomy, Ben Noam’s book Work Portraits Portrait Work is both a visual exploration of work in the cultural field and a statement of personal artistic intentions. Presenting 60 painted portraits of friends from the art world and culture in general, the book is a compendium of artists, musicians, chefs, filmmakers, actors, writers, and academics depicted while laboring in their chosen workplaces. At the same time, it is also a conceptual reflection on the complex nature of work in the cultural field, the relationship between subjectivity and collectivity, self-representation and belonging. The outcome is a surprisingly heartwarming object, somehow suggesting that work in the arts is never solely an individual affair. As Dean Kissick writes in one of the four texts specifically commisioned for the book— with Laura Adler, Gabriel Winant, and Ashley Mears —“art is a communal project.” Furthermore, Work Portraits Portrait Work serves as a record of a specific time and place—most portraits depict people close to Noam himself, often in studios, apartments, cafés—but it does so embodying a fantasy of such time and place. The subjects of the paintings become a community, and this community becomes a character in Ben’s narrative about what making art today might signify: a representation of what artistic representation could look like. CONTRIBUTIONS BY: ASHLEY MEARS DEAN KISSICK GABRIEL WINANT LAURA ADLER @WOLF_NOAM #BENWOLFNOAM #BENNOAM #ASHLEYMEARS @DEANKISSICK #DEANKISSICK #GABRIELWINANT @LAURACKADLER #LAURAADLER @COLOURANDBOOKS @DIEKEUREPRINTING @THEJOURNALGALLERY #THEJOURNALGALLERY

Last day to see my show The Journal Gallery LA

Work Portraits is up at @thejournalgallery in LA. Next door to Dan Tana’s and the troubadour .