Ben working on his current show "Beep-boop beep-Boop" (runs March 8 - March 30, 2008) at Carmichael Gallery in Los Angeles.

This Philly based artist and founding members of Space 1026 just opened up a show entitled "Beep-boop beep-Boop" (runs March 8 - March 30, 2008) at Carmichael Gallery in Los Angeles. His most recent illustrated children's book, "Sullivan's Solo", published by Free News Projects, will be released this year. We had a chance to ask him about his work, Space 1026, Philly's art scene, and why meat cheese steaks taste better than veggie ones... He's a vegetarian himself. Say hi to Ben!

I am 33. I live and work in the lovely city of philadelphia, and I went to a college but never graduated. It's in Rhode Island but I am not trying to shout it out.

1026 is still kicking. I was one of the first wave, so now I kind of fill the role of grumpy old man/adviser. The kids that are doing the day to day stuff are great. There was an influx of people from New England, so there has been a lot of patriots/red socks mass-hole pride floating around lately... Thom is killing shit lately. He's got new music on the way and is still blowing my mind with his all over awesome-ness. 1026 is ten years old so it's fluctuating between becoming an institution and falling apart. But the people there are the best people in the world and I love being there. The real action happens after 5pm, so I am normally alone most of the day and have to be a dad when the fun starts.

I draw and draw and draw and don't really think much about what I am doing, usually I am watching tv or listening to the radio, then I go back through all that stuff and pick out stuff that catches my eyes, then I go back through that and work it more till it finally comes out in painting form.

Silk screen prints and for paintings I use gouache on board.

It's surrealism for people that were taught to read by muppets.

Sleepy and reluctant acceptance. Like the sigh you let out be for you have to clean dog poop off the carpet.

Phila is the best, not only is it cheap enough to own a house, but the people that I live and work around are always inspirational.

Space 1026, the reading terminal market, phila art museum, and the mutter museum of human defects, 700 club, nth. 3rd. and after all that we could go play with my 4 year old she's the best thing in Philadelphia.

That's Pat's and Geno's, and yes they are across the street from each other (video). I used to live a block away and every Thursday-Sunday there was a billion steak rappers all over my street from the drunks eating cheese steaks and going to my street and throwing the wrappers on the curb. The wiz is just the way they do it. I have seen "fancy" cheese stakes that do not use wiz but real provolone cheese, but I myself have not had a real cheese steak since I was 14 and went vegetarian. I know most people like chicken cheese stakes over the beef kind but that's a philly thing. There's a place that make an awesome vegan cheese steaks called Gianna's Grille, all the kids used to love that place and then it came out that the cheese was not vegan or it had some kind of whey in it, but they changed their shit up, so now I think it's okay. I used to go there all the time but I wore it out in that way you can as a vegetarian. My wife used to make fun of me for loving it so much. She eats meat and she was like: "it must be a long time if you think this tastes like a cheese steak.

The Wire.

When I have nothing to look forward to, when I can just work to work and not try to shove it in with life and all.

The Wu always makes me happy, and the lovely songs of Rod Lee, and I can't get the song "pork chops and onion gravy" out of my head.

I was the art fag. I can safely say that. Also, I was asleep for most of it.

I have a kid's book coming out soon called "Sullivan's Solo" about a bunch of birds that save their friend with poop.

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