March 12, 2014 at 4:01 pm

When Words Fail Him, this Artist Expresses Himself through Surreal Self-Portraiture

by twistedsifter

 

At the age of 18, New York City native Ben Zank discovered a Pentax ME Super in his grandmother’s attic and he’s been photographing ever since. That was four years ago, and the artist’s work continues to blossom as he prepares for a solo exhibition entitled We Are Dust in Times Square on 27 March 2014 (more details to come).

Ben’s surreal self-portraits aim to stretch the viewer’s imagination and express his feelings ‘when words fail‘. You can keep up with the ongoing When Words Fail series on his Website, Tumblr, Flickr and Facebook page.

If you want to learn more about the photographer, where he draws inspiration from, and what his process is like; you can find a revealing interview on Phlearn and a brief chat on TwentyBliss. If you’re interested in prints, they can be purchased directly from Ben’s website.

 

 

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (5)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (4)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (8)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (10)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (1)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (6)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

via Ben Zank on Facebook:

“I spent 3 hours karate chopping ice shards with my hand, painting them black, and then carefully placing them into this ditch (which I had dug out the day before). I had to go home to warm up before taking the image because I couldn’t feel any of my toes, but when I had returned, the sun had almost set and the field had become a very subtle bluish color… which was awesome. Very much inspired by Andy Goldsworthy and his mind numbing patience and determination to create absolutely breathtaking natural sculptures.”

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (11)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (9)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (12)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (7)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (2)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

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surreal self-portraits by ben zank (3)

Photograph by BEN ZANK
Website | Facebook | Flickr | Tumblr | Instagram | Prints

 

 

 

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