Born in Brooklyn, NY, 1976
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, BFA, 1998
Yale Norfolk Painting Fellowship, 1997
Lives and Works in Beacon, NY
BENJAMIN DEGEN (b. 1976) makes optically charged paintings and drawings through active markmaking. The artist’s work is defined by these decisive, rhythmic gestures and is grounded in daily drawing and observation practices. Degen places the viewer within scenes ranging from vast seaside horizons to dense cityscapes, making us keenly aware of our visual and physical experience of the world around us. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NYC; The Hort Foundation, NYC; the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College; Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia; and The Nerman MoCA, Overland Park, among others.