Ben McLaughlin is mostly known for his figurative paintings but he has always made abstract collages and drawings. Primarily these are used by the artist as compositional starting points for other works. Over the past few years Ben has been using some of his large collection of cardboard, papers and advertisements to create a series of collages. These are inspired by British modernist artists such as Patrick Heron and Ben Nicholson. These seemingly simple collages have an intensely satisfying balance and purity.
Ben McLaughlin was born in London in 1969. He studied in London and received his BA in Fine Art from Central St. Martin's School of Art and a MA in printmaking from Camberwell College of Art. In 1992 he won first prize from The Falkiners Fine Paper Young Artists Award, he was awarded first prize in the Cohn & Wolfe Young Artist Competition, London and first prize from the Cecil Collins Memorial Award for Drawing, London. In 1994 and in 1996 Ben received the Médaille d'Honneur de la Ville de Salies-de-Béarn, France. In 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Artist's Residency at The Joseph and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut. Ben's work has been exhibited throughout Europe and the USA.