BRIAN BENT

BRIAN BENT: Hot Wheels & Tires

SOLO EXHIBITION:
JULY-OCTOBER, 2024

EAST is proud to present Hot Wheels and Tires - the first solo exhibition of automotive paintings by iconic artist Brian Bent. Having worked together since 2013, and following a solo exhibition of surf paintings earlier this year in Hawaii, EAST is excited to present Brian’s work for the first time in North Carolina.

Hot Wheels and Tires features eight new iconic works by Bent and centers around Brian’s longtime love of automotive culture.. Drawing inspiration from various moment of hot rod history, and his own memories from childhood to adulthood, each painting expressively captures the feeling of excitement and energy only racing brings.

Artist Statement:

“As a young boy my first run in with a stylized auto was a Hot Wheel. It was the 1967 Deora with two surfboards in the back. Then in the mid 70s, when I came of age to have my own hot wheels (not just snagging my uncle’s supply and smashing them into the carpet), I got into the Don Prudhomme funny car Hot Wheels as well as racing G-plus slot cars. Then with the inspiration from my grandfather who built hot rods before and after WWII, and me watching drag races and early 50s stock car racing, as well as ministering at the Hot Rod Church for Sinners and building my own hot rods during that time, I’ve just always had a stoke for classic racers.

“These paintings reflect different eras that I’ve been inspired by. From the STP era of my uncle, to the Throttle cover of my grandfather’s era, to the funny car of Don Prudhomme, to the classic golden era of skateboarding and NASCAR with Cale Yarborough. I have a lot of joy in painting these and always hope that the viewer has the same stoke looking at them as I do in painting them.”

For a collector preview, please inquire.

ABOUT BRIAN BENT

Brian Bent, is the ever-eclectic, self-taught artist, musician, surfer, hot rod enthusiast skateboarder, designer, builder (the list goes on). Whether through music, surfing, writing, painting, sculpting, car building, interior design, or whatever else sets his soul afire, Brian undoubtedly brings his electric energy to all he touches.

For Brian Bent, the past resonates in actionable ways. Bent builds and rides pre-WWII-style kook boxes. He builds primitive Hot Rods from scratch. He plays reverb-drenched garage rock that sends nods of recognition to the styling of The Cramps mashed with White Stripes and raw Gospel-esq lyrics of Sister Gertrude. And his wardrobe is personally altered with punk rock aesthetics through one of his many sewing machines, hand stitching and/or home made screen prints.

Over the years, Bent--who cut his teeth creating playful, interactive and cutting edge interiors for Becker Surfboards --has developed his own idiosyncratic painting style. Working fastidiously and using bold, expressionist strokes, Bent’s paintings evoke a stylistic reality with high levels of energetic joy. Bent’s work has been published many times over and has had much success in galleries and exhibits worldwide.

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