ZONE OF THE FREE: THE PORG

Ben Whight aka THEPORG

Interview By Null+Void

null+void has been taken over this banner art cycle with comic style scenes of sound system and machine mutants thanks to Bristol based illustrator Ben Whight. Known as The Porg his work has been adopted for use by the underground music community of Bristol on record artwork as well as flyer designs. What you have is Manga inspirations mixed with rave culture imagery and a nightmarish dystopian vision of the world. That’s what why we like him.

Thank you Ben for allowing use your art and for taking the time to speak to us.

Who are you, what do you do and where are you from?
My name's Ben Whight, I'm a freelance illustrator and I grew up in Dorest and The Forest of Dean.

What do you think's special about Bristol as a creative hub?
There's lots of opportunities here for people to express their talents with art trails, events and exhibitions. These take place in local shops, clubs, restaurants, abandoned buildings and on the street. It's dedicated and inspirational people that put these on and this draws in other creative types too. There's a constant supply of influence and inspiration which breeds new creations and this keeps the creativity going.

Who or what are your inspirations?
Manga would be my biggest influence as it will always be the foundation of my drawing, even though I never meant it to be. I'm discovering new artists that inspire me every day, but the main ones are Paul Bonner, Arnold Tsang, Frank Frazetta, Alvin Lee, Brom and Gigar. I've always loved the look of machines and the human form, so combining their construction seemed like a natural progression. However this will more than likely take a pornographic twist.

What are you currently working on?
Presently I'm working on an interactive background for a website. It's for a festival installation called The Body Shop where, based in the far future, punters can get bioupgrades like replacement arms and brain implants. I’m also creating designs for clothing for a guitar shop / chain and finding time to do a few paintings.

Have you ever been in a fight? If so, what happened?
I remember having a few scuffles at school but nothing serious, I've always backed away from fights. There have been a few times where I've been ready to kick off due to being fuelled up on Red Stripe or Stella, but managed to hold myself back. I don't touch the stuff anymore.
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To see more of Ben’s work go to his website.