Backin2016,hedesignedtheCELEBRATEcovertomark
our 200 millionthUKmagazinesale.Intheyearssince,
despitebeingoneofthemostin-demandglobalstreet
artists,hehasgenerously given time and art to help
boost The Big Issue.
Wetalkedintheinterveningyearsabouthim
guest-editingaspecialedition.Andhereitis.Anditis
glorious.Foranartistofsuchimpactandinfluence,Ben
is remarkably, reassuringly, open and down to earth.
StartingwithasimplethemeofUP,everythingflows.
Benopenedhiscontactsbookandbroughtinsomeof
thebiggeststreetartistsintheworld.Theyalltookthe
wordandtheideaofUPandconceived new work around
it in their own incredible ways.
Fromthecontributionstothemagazine–which
includesinterviewswithShepardFairey,AnthonyLister
andthenotoriouslysecretive1UPcrew–anexhibition
hasgrown.ItopensonMarch 12 attheJealousGallery
inEastLondon.SpecialmentionhereforJuan,Andy
andHelenattheOurTypes studio, and for the inimitable
Dario Illari at Jealous.
BenEineisaone-off.Hecouldstepback,taketoabig
houseinthehillsandwatchthe art world fete him and
grow the value of his work.
Instead,hekeepson.Hesharesourbeliefthatthose
atthebottomaretobeasvaluedasthose at the top, that
they need a hand UP, not a handout.
Thisweek,notforthefirsttime, Ben Eine offershis
hand UP. We thank him.
Paul McNamee, Editor of The Big Issue
BEN EINE HAS
BEEN A FRIEND
OF THE BIG ISSUE
FOR SOME TIME
LOVE LOVE LOVE ©Louis Thornton Films 2019
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