Benjaminleebates works with his hands…on creating awesome artwork for our t-shirts and building literal things. A true craftsman if you will. He also like to keep us on our toes, which have gotten considerably stronger with benjaminleebates around. So there’s that. Oh yeah, you’re hear to learn more about the people behind our shirts. Read on!
Q: What inspired your curation?
A: I love designs that are full of cognitive dissonance. Expecting a pretty little critter and instead getting a snarky little monster. Irreverence on shirts often makes people LOL IRL; especially when the irreverence is unexpected. So, I tried to find some shirts that would put a smile on people's faces. There are many more designs here on Shirt.Woot that meet this criteria; these are just a small sampling.
Q: What makes your creative motor tick?
A: I enjoy art that combines the natural and the mechanical. I am a huge fan of steam-punk, not just putting gears on it; but designing to make the item to look functional or maybe even BE functional. I also love Art Nouveau and Neoclassic landscapes. I would love to spend hours walking around zoos just to stare and the animals and sketch them; if someone could just remove all those pesky people...
Q: Where do you draw inspiration?
A: Generally, I get inspired by funny expressions or the temporary aspects of life (nature, animals, rainbows, clouds, etc); things that happen, and the experience of the event is where the magic happens, not in the attempt to capture it.
For Shirt,Woot, the derby theme is very important to me. I miss the days of "no text," it really forced the artist to design something visual; aesthetics were key. I love derby themes that are specific and have concise rules. The more limits placed on a creator, the more creative they become.
Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?
A: The FUnicorn shirt is probably one of my favorites. Drawn well, and then the punchline is so quick and stabby. It's like, "what! wut? HAHAHA!" I love a design that appears to be quite refined but then adds a humoristic twist.
Q: Do you have a favorite artists who is also featured on shirt.woot?
A: Maloandthewhale and Apelad are my two favorite artists on woot. Maloandthewhale could be produced on any medium and would be great. I would fill my cubicle with posters from Malo, without giving it a second thought. Great attention to detail and such fantastic/whimsical visions. Apelad has that comic strip/retro style that I really dig. Funny little quips and punchy visuals; the pen and ink style seems so rare these days. His work looks like it was drawn by a person not produced by a machine. I would deeply cherish a signed sketch from Apelad... It would be a center piece in my home.
Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!
A: Not many projects per se. My wife and I are house hunting and trying to find a quiet place in the country where I can have a nice workshop. In my future I see woodworking, ceramics, and horticulture.
I am not a full-time graphic designer, but rather a CAD designer for a manufacturer. So my daily routine is not supremely creative. I use Shirt.Woot as an outlet to be creative. I graduated college as as Art Teacher. But instead of teaching, I got a job in Stained Glass. In 2009 I submitted my first design to Shirt.Woot. I thought that it would be a good way to learn Illustrator. After doing so, I was hired as a full time graphic designer about a year and a half later. In that job I started to learn CAD programs, which allowed me to develop the skills needed for my current job. So.. Thank you, Shirt.Woot!
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