Interview de Ben Heine pour le magazine Digital Photo (France)

Digital Photo Magazine: Dessinateur depuis l’enfance et peintre depuis l’adolescence, le photographe et illustrateur Ben Heine est aussi musicien. Découvrez l’univers riche en couleurs de cet artiste de 35 ans aux multiples talents…

C’EST pendant ses études universitaires en journalisme que Ben a commencé à étudier et à pratiquer la photographie en autodidacte. Depuis, il s’est forgé une carrière d’une polyvalence rare tout en restant fidèle à son style et ses oeuvres sont exposées régulièrement partout dans le monde. Il est devenu célèbre en 2010 en inventant une nouvelle forme artistique appelée « Pencil Vs Camera », il en a d’ailleurs réalisé un ouvrage paru en 2017 et regroupant plus d’une centaine de ses oeuvres.

Son envie de devenir photographe a été motivée par le fait qu’il « trouvait génial de capturer des petits instants de vie presque anecdotiques et leur donner un “moment de gloire” en les présentant sous leur meilleur angle ». Ben explique aussi qu’en tant que dessinateur et peintre, il était fasciné qu’un simple appareil photo capture autant de détails et d’informations visuelles : « Il ne reste à l’artiste plus qu’à donner un sens aux pixels, à retoucher, remodeler, recadrer et sublimer ces informations. »

Il aime les images épurées et parfois minimalistes, la transmission d’un message simple mais universel : « Le noir et blanc photographique me fascine aussi, je le considère comme un dessin ultra-réaliste. »

Il puise son inspiration première majoritairement du photographe israélien Gilad Benari. Les photos de Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier-Bresson et Steve McCurry le fascinent également.

En plus de la photo, le dessin et la peinture, Ben s’est lancé dans la musique en 2012. « Je joue du piano et des percussions et je me suis spécialisé dans les programmes de création et de production musicale (notamment Ableton, qui est un peu le Photoshop de la musique…). J’écris et compose des chansons.

Je réalise tout de A à Z et mon style musical est dans la tendance Electro Pop. Et en effet, je réalise des clips pour ces musiques où il m’arrive de monter mais je délègue de plus en plus cette activité. Lorsque j’ai commencé j’ai trouvé qu’il y avait beaucoup de similitudes dans les processus des effets graphiques et musicaux, par exemple la netteté d’une image correspond pour moi au son aigu d’une note et le flou graphique correspond à la réverbération sonore, il y a tant d’autres exemples… »

Ben aime s’amuser en postproduction comme le montrent nombre de ses photos. C’est le cas par exemple de la photo de l’énorme figuier de la baie de Moreton qui a été prise à Séville en Espagne : « J’ai bien sûr réalisé un travail de postproduction et de retouche en repeignant le tronc, les racines et les branches avec des couleurs qui me parlent. J’ai pour cela utilisé l’outil Color dans Photoshop. Comme très souvent, il me faut plusieurs jours pour retoucher une seule photo. »

Cette année, il a des expositions prévues à Bruxelles et à Namur en Belgique. Il nous parle de ses projets en cours : « J’ai beaucoup d’ateliers et de projets en préparation dans les écoles en Belgique et à l’étranger car mon concept Pencil Vs Camera est devenu populaire dans les milieux scolaires. Il est enseigné par les professeurs pour stimuler l’imagination des enfants et ados, ainsi que l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies, pour susciter le débat, apprendre la photo, le dessin, etc. Je travaille aussi sur plusieurs nouvelles photos, une version améliorée du concept Pencil Vs Camera et des chansons. »

Ben Heine Interview in Colored Pencil Magazine (USA)

Colored Pencil Magazine: Ben Heine’s style is so unique and innovative, it has garnered worldwide attention and fame. He has found a creative way to merge his photography and art, opening a window into a surreal world filled with exciting visual creations.

I was born in 1983 in Ivory Coast and currently live and work in Belgium. I have a degree in journalism but consider myself a multidisciplinary visual artist. I am self-taught in both drawing and photography. My creations have been exhibited in Europe and Asia. My favorite art movements are Surrealism, Pop Art, Geometric Abstraction, Expressionism, and Social Realism. When I’m not creating artwork, I am making electronic music and spending time with my two children.

In 2010 I launched the series Pencil Vs. Camera. After drawing and taking photos for many years, this series seemed like the natural evolution of my work, merging the two to create this project. Pencil Vs. Camera is about illusion, dream, poetry, magic, and simplicity.

The challenge was to create the illusion of 3D on a 2D surface – a simple piece of paper. The sketch needed to connect with the photographic background while telling a story on its own. It is important to me to try to give symbolic meaning to all of my drawings, something more profound than what the photo could portray alone.

This combination of drawing and photograph has been a powerful way for me to express my ideas. There are no limits, and everything is possible in a photograph with a drawing that represents a door to a parallel creative world – straight from my imagination. Producing this concept seemed simple and easy to understand. Sketch a picture, hold it in your hand, and take a photo of it in a place of your choice.

Not all images start the same way. Sometimes an idea is born first. It can take me a long time to find just the right location. Other times, I am inspired by an environment first.

I usually start with a rough drawing, spending hours to days on it, depending on the complexity of the subject. I then go to the location I intend to take the photo. I hold the paper in my hand, carefully making adjustments to line up the subject with the main lines of the scene, and take the picture. Corrections and changes can be made with post-production software to make sure everything works together perfectly.

In 2012 and 2013 I brought some innovations to the concept by adding colors and black paper instead of white. I also tried increasing the size of the drawing. I plan to continue to grow this series, creating images for specific projects I have in mind. In the meantime, you can get my newly published book featuring most images from the series: http://bit.ly/heinebook

Since 2014, many smartphone applications emulate the concept, but of course, it’s less creative. Several other artists have also borrowed the idea to create some variations. At first, I’ll admit, it was a bit irritating to see my original idea done by others, but now I find it cool. I’ve learned what a privilege it is to be able to influence and inspire other artists. I especially enjoy working on collaborations and teaching workshops in schools in which my images have become very popular with the students over the years.

Ben Heine Art in Digital Photo Magazine

A long article about Ben Heine's graphic work is just published in the renowned British magazine "Digital Photo Magazine" (February 2017, issue 216). Un long article sur le travail graphique de Ben Heine vient d'être publié dans le prestigieux magazine britannique "Digital Photo" (février 2017, numéro 216).

Magic City - Interview with Ben Heine

Artist Ben Heine Talks About his Passion for Music

Multi-disciplinary artist Ben Heine talks about his passion for piano and music production. Interview conducted by Nicolas Debatty for MaTele

L'artiste pluri-disciplinaire Ben Heine explique sa passion pour la musique. Interview réalisée par Nicolas Debatty pour MaTele

Join Ben on Soundcloud

L'Artiste Ben Heine en Couverture de Proximag

(Cliquer sur l'image pour l'agrandir ou ici)

Du Talent à Revendre

Christophe Pequet

Adolescent, Ben Heine griffonnait dans les marges de ses fardes et de ses cahiers. Aujourd’hui, l’artiste originaire de Bruxelles est reconnu dans le monde entier! De Bucarest à Hong Kong, de Moscou à Séoul, ses œuvres ont fait le tour du monde!

Et quand il ne passe pas son temps à créer, le jeune artiste s’installe derrière son piano pour laisser libre cours à son imagination musicale. Et le résultat est plutôt bien foutu! En témoignent les nombreux messages postés par les internautes sur son compte Soundcloud. «J’ai sorti un album sur le net en novembre dernier. Si le retour des internautes est positif, l’album sortira en format CD. Je ne lâcherai pas l’affaire tant que je n’aurai pas obtenu un résultat satisfaisant», dit Ben Heine en souriant.

Interview de Ben Heine (Artist Up)

Ben Heine est un illustrateur, photographe et producteur de musique belge. Propulsé sur le devant de la scène et connu internationalement pour sa série "Pencil vs Camera", il crée des scènes imaginaires et originales qui nous embarquent sur un tremplin d'évasion. Son regard artistique combine avec humour la photographie et le dessin. La passion guide les pulsions créatives de Ben Heine. Egalement musicien autodidacte, son univers musical oscille entre la "melodic house" et la chanson pop. Rencontre avec un artiste à l'imagination débordante et qui ne manque pas de surprendre son public. (Lire l'interview sur Artist Up)

Elina Tarade: Qu'est- ce qui vous a conduit vers l'univers artistique? Quels liens établissez-vous entre les différentes pratiques et comment s'expriment-t-elles dans votre univers créatif? 

Ben Heine: Plus jeune, j'étais une personne assez agitée et tiraillée, l'expression artistique a été le seul moyen que j'ai trouvé pour canaliser ce surplus d'énergie ainsi que certaines angoisses et peurs primitives. J'utilise tout ce que j'ai sous la main et les petites compétences que je possède pour exprimer des idées et des sentiments. Pour moi, il n'y a quasiment aucune différence entre le dessin et la photo. Je retouche et cadre mes photos comme si je les dessinais et je dessine comme si je prenais une photo. 

C'est pourquoi j'ai lancé cette série qui mélange les deux disciplines en 2010. La photo est plus rapide que le dessin dans le fait qu'elle capture un instantané du réel ou s'en inspire et qu'une grosse partie du travail est réalisée par le boitier et la lentille de l'appareil (même s'il m'est arrivé de passer plusieurs semaines à retoucher une photo).

En ce qui concerne le rapport entre la musique et l'art graphique, il y a déjà un écart plus grand mais à nouveau, je ne vois pas énormément de grandes divergences au niveau du processus créatif. Les compétences requises pour maîtriser ces disciplines (arts graphiques et musique) sont assez différentes mais l'aboutissement est le même. Dans les deux cas on a des âmes créatives qui veulent exprimer une idée ou une émotion et un public qui les comprend (ou pas). C'est un chemin parsemé d'embuches et d'échecs, mais c'est le parcours qui est important et pas le résultat. 

Il y a en fait de grandes similitudes entre arts graphiques et musique, le flou graphique s'exprimera par exemple dans l'espace musical comme un son avec une grosse réverbération, une ligne nette et distincte sur un morceau de papier s'exprimera comme un son plus aigu ou strident... Les exemples sont infinis.

Vous êtes également musicien, vous jouez notamment de la batterie et du piano. Comment êtes-vous arrivé à la musique, et de quelle manière décririez-vous votre univers musical? 

Rencontre avec l'artiste Ben Heine dans son studio

Visite du studio de l'artiste Ben Heine qui nous parle de ses passions pour l'art graphique, le piano et la production musicale. Il réalise également une rapide démonstration de son concept "Pencil Vs Camera" pour MaTele (l'interview a été réalisée par Antoine Peret pour MaTele).

Interview de l'Artiste Ben Heine pour Babel Cafe

L'artiste pluri-disciplinaire Ben Heine nous parle de son évolution, de ces projets créatifs, de ces expositions en cours et de sa nouvelle passion pour la musique. Interview réalisée par Nicolas Debatty pour MaTele.

ИМЕНА - Бен Хайне

Interview for Cultural Voice

Portrait of Ben Heine by Rolando

Ben and model in a science Museum

French, they say, is the language of love. Ben Heine, graphic artist, musician, and photographer dabbles in a different sort of love, the love of art. This cultural aristocrat, if there ever were one, is a man of diverse culture, a speaker of at least six languages, Heine is the quintessential cosmopolitan, without the usual air of self-indulgence and smugness which typically attend folks who have achieved as he has. 

A Gallery Of Talent

Rainbow Canyon

“It is not the fact that being an artist is something I wanted to be absolutely, it’s just that art came to me, I didn't have any choice” Ben proclaims poetically. “It’s the only thing I am not bad at. I am not anything else, so I guess, I am an artist.” Heine naturally eschews praise, refusing to rest on his laurels. “Art is not a goal in and of itself, it’s just a description. Every person is an artist; it’s just that sometimes they don’t know it. We are all able to express things. All we need is to find the right tools, the right time, the right people and the right place to do so.”

Ben playing the piano in his studio

An aspiring musician with an unmolested love for electronic music, Heine plays the piano and the guitar but considers himself the consummate drummer. “Music is more powerful,” he interjects, a startling confession for an artist whose claim to fame is a non-musical endeavour. “I started playing music two years ago secretly,” that is, until he developed the confidence to share his passion with the world. His love for music marries well with his love for graphic art, “It complements my graphic work and it helps me to grow as an artist.”

Ben's Bob and Marilyn portraits

This is readily apparent in Heine’s graphically artful recreation of Bob Marley, who he says, inspires him because of “his message and values of universality and inclusivity.” It is these “timeless themes that inspire my work, as well as notions of freedom, happiness, love and friendship, it gives me hope and strength and it helps me to live a better life.”

The Birth Of “Pencil Vs Camera”

Heine started putting pencil to paper when he was only eleven years of age. Traditionally trained and schooled in journalism and communications at the prestigious Belgian university, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where he began, and later completed his studies at IHECS Journalism High School. 

Project for Museum Night Fever

Heine tried his hand at political cartoons. This brief encounter was far less charitable to him than he had hoped, “it only brought me trouble.” His political activism, at the cusp of his youth, unleashed a string of criticism and threats. In the end, Heine felt it was perhaps wiser to spend his talent elsewhere and walked away from political cartoons, vowing never to return.

PvsC Behind the scene

All was not lost, however. It was his training in photography during his studies that wedded his drawing to his camera. “I wasn’t satisfied with only drawing or only photography, so I had to find a way to merge the two and this is how Pencil Vs Camera was born.” Arguably the most successful artistic collection Heine has created so far, Pencil Vs Camera, hopes to “bring some imagination and surrealism to the photography,” creating “an interesting combination.” This series of artworks is considered as one of the most creative ones ever.

Ben shooting at Teide volcano

The collection began in 2010 and was the only one of its kind. Today, others have borrowed from Heine’s brilliance, and started to fashion for themselves, something of a replica. Many schools worldwide started teaching Ben's techniques to their students. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery...

Social Media Buzz

3D Pencil Vs Camera in progress

Heine lit social media ablaze, commanding an impressive 220 thousand “likes” on Facebook. He notes that “Social media helps. It creates each time a mini- buzz for your art.” But Heine is quick to qualify that its effect on sales remains to be seen. Heine receives some, but limited, sponsorship from private entities. He admits that much of his income is generated from the sale of his art work and via art exhibitions. When opportunity allows, he also partners with other artists to create artistic collaborations.

Above the clouds in Tenerife

In a raw, reflective moment, Heine reminds artists not to be careless with their work. “I started naively, when I was young, being very generous and providing high resolution pictures to others. Nowadays if you hand-out high resolution samples of your art, you’re dead as an artist,” he exclaims in a sullen voice. 

Heine also advises that artists give “150%, so that they don’t regret anything” and finally, “to ignore” naysayers who say “you can’t do it.” When all is said and done, Heine hopes his legacy is one of “innovation” and he is remembered as “a creative artist and a champion of peace and love. I hope young people will be inspired by what I’m doing.”

Ben's Babies

Ben Heine and his son Theo

Married, with a new-born son, Theo, Ben reveals, “I am very proud of him. It’s one of the things I am most proud of. I don't even remember how was my life before he was born. He changed me, he changed my life. Being a father is really something you learn slowly. I hope I'm a good father.” And, with a deliberate word of interjection, “And all of my artworks, they are my babies as well, each one has its own character.”

Illustrating "Los Gigantes"

Many a generation of artists look to the drawings of Da Vinci, the paintings of Picasso and Rembrandt, they may yet, one day, look with favour upon Ben Heine. I’ll leave it to art historians to decide the legacy of Pencil Vs Camera, but I can, and will say, it’s sketching its own path to be soulful art to a hungry tech-savvy generation.

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Note: This interview was written by Derefe Chevannes and originally appeared in Cultural Voice, a magazine released in Jamaica and worldwide.

Interview for Tuts+

Ben Heine at the Museum Night Fever in Brussels

Looking at your work across deviantART, Flickr, and your portfolio, you obviously love creating. It must take an incredible amount of imagination to constantly come up with new characters and scenes for your unique works. Have you always had a very active imagination?

I’m an innovative person generally speaking; I always like to do things that have not been tried before. I had to train the way I’m using my imagination over the years to use it at its full potential and not be blocked during the creative process behind every image I make. Most of all, it’s a lot of work and trials and errors. I think it has nothing to do with divine energy or magic. When I’m searching for ideas, I usually start with very small things and it becomes more and more complex when I develop them according to what I want to express.

Where do you get your inspiration for your works and do you ever feel like you’ll run out of ideas?

As I often say, my inspiration mainly comes from the experiences I’m living and the people I meet. I think it is important for artists to be a creative mirror of the society they live in. I’m a rather spontaneous person and I get easily overwhelmed with my emotions. I really try to channel all my passions in my art. Some projects are more powerful than others and that’s still a mystery for me. When I run out of ideas, I simply stop and start something completely different. And my well is full again after a certain time.

You have several outstanding art series but it seems your most popular works are for your ongoing series entitled “Pencil Vs Camera”, is this also your personal favourite or do you have another?

Well, I didn’t expect Pencil Vs Camera would be the most appreciated series in my work. I didn’t know it was so new and different. It has been my favorite concept for many years, but now I really long to do something else. As a creative person, I like to progress and see a distinct evolution in my work. The great thing behind Pencil Vs Camera is that it opens doors to a creative universe with unlimited possibilities and renewed content, but the form is always the same: a combination of photography and drawing. I’ve brought many innovations to the concept to refresh it such as colored drawings on black paper and then giant 3D sketches, but I need something completely different now. I don’t have any other favorite, I think and I hope it’s yet to come.

In your Pencil Vs Camera series you always have such unique and whimsical stories to tell. Are these scenarios born from an idea for a photograph or a sketch?

Both options are possible. Sometimes I do a sketch first at home and I do everything I can to find the right location so that it will work with the sketch. In other cases, I find a spot first and then do the drawing, making sure the sketch will match that specific place. Both techniques require a lot of work and the sketches are always handmade.

What are your tools of the trade? Is there any one thing that makes your job as an artist easier?

I always use simple equipment. The title of my series often describes the main tools I’m using. In Pencil Vs Camera, I use pencils, (with charcoals and pens in some cases), paper and my camera. In Flesh and acrylic, I use acrylic and human models (and my camera again to capture the final results). I also don’t mind retouching my photos to make sure the final result is the way I want.

The life of an artist can be hard, but artists do it because they love their craft. What do you love and hate about being a professional artist, and where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

I’ve made a small graph recently; it describes all the things I usually have to deal with on a daily basis as a professional artist. I love creating and producing art, this is my favorite part, I also love sharing my work (communication, journalism…), but I find it more difficult to handle all the commercial and marketing aspects although these tasks are as important as the other ones. Fortunately, these are things you learn when practicing. Artists have to understand and control all the steps presented in this graph if they want to make a living with their work, or they have to automate or devolve these things to external agencies. Time is money you know.

I see you were born and spent some of your childhood in Ivory Coast, Africa. How much has your hometown affected your work, if at all?

Psychologists often say that the early years of the human development determine the architecture of the adults’ behavior. I’m pretty sure that the fact that I was born and lived so far away from where I’m based now has brought me a certain conception of life. For instance I tend to feel as a citizen of the world, I prefer the universal and I tend to ignore the particular. On the other hand, I’m not sure where my real roots are and I’m always trying to find who I am.

Do you have any other artistic influences that fuel your artistic nature?

Yes, definitely, music and dance. My mother is a dance teacher and I inherited a lot from her. Music is my fuel. Music equals life.

You’re quite a social butterfly on the net. Do you have any suggestions for the reader on how to gain exposure on the web?

I’d suggest artists to always think out of the box and try to get in touch with people who can talk about their work such as journalists, asking them to publish their body of work because there is an original or innovative concept involved. It’s a good way to gain more exposure. Then artists will have to be selective with all the opportunities that will come eventually. Making the right choices is the most difficult.

This interview initially appeared on design.tutsplus.com

Interview for Cult of Mac

Pencil Vs Camera blurs line between reality and whimsy

Ben Heine is a magician. Like David Blaine and Criss Angel before him, he has a special talent for blurring the line between reality and fiction. But instead of utilizing sleight of hand or his indomitable will to delight his audience, Heine keeps it simple by using just a pencil and camera to create his illusions.

Heine’s incredible art series Pencil Vs Camera combines gorgeous landscapes and city scenes with hand-sketched drawings. The otherworldly images that result are both whimsical and intriguing, with a bit of mind-bending magic thrown in for perspective.

“I always try to express what I’m feeling,” Heine told Cult of Mac, noting that most of his inspiration for drawings come “mainly from people around me — friends, family, even strangers — and from every experience I live.”

The 30-year-old artist creates most of his works at his studio in Belgium, using charcoal sticks and graphite pencils to lay the foundational work before going out to snap a picture — though most of the time he has to do some edits to line up shots in post-production.

Burning koalas, horny bunny rabbits and even bland subway stations have fueled the imagination of this Ivory Coast-born artist.

“I’m always trying to find a nice location,” Heine said. “Then if there is a great subject — for instance a funny animal or human doing something unusual — this is nice, but it is not always needed because the drawing will bring a special, original and creative touch most of the time.”

Pencil Vs Camera isn’t Heine’s only popular series: His Digital Circlism project caught our eye two years ago, thanks to this creepy portrait of Steve Jobs. But Heine says the Pencil vs Camera series stretched him as an artist by getting him to learn new ways to enhance his art.

The 3-D drawings, in particular, weren’t the easiest to master. “I had to change the way I’m working,” Heine said. “I had to learn new tools to create the 3-D effects.”

He created more than 70 images during a three-year period for the series, with the final and most challenging pieces swapping photos for huge swaths of canvas drawings to create optical illusions that seem to place the artist inside his anamorphic drawings.

For now, Heine says he’s done with the pencil sketches, but he’s already hard at work on a new project that’s different from anything he’s done before — music. 

“I let my inspiration talk and I don’t ask myself too many questions,” Heine said. “Simple ideas and messages are always the best ones.”

Read more at http://www.cultofmac.com. The above article was written by Buster Hein for Cult of Mac.

Interview for Flickr (*)

Photographer literally draws life into his photos (You can also read the following interview on Flickr Blog or find the above audio interview on Yahoo Screen).

Ben Heine for The Weekly Flickr

In this edition of The Weekly Flickr, we profile Belgian artist and photographer Ben Heine. To call Ben Heine’s photography “cool” or even “eye-catching” is a bit of an understatement. His images are mesmerizing. Ben’s Pencil Vs Camera series perfectly blends illustrations in surprising but clever juxtapositions.

Ben Heine has created a form of art that is truly all his own. Einstein once said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Ben Heine is using art to show that if you can see it and believe it, there are no bounds to creativity! 

Pencil Vs Camera - © Ben Heine

“In my work, I’m really trying to interact with the viewer,” the Belgian artist tells The Weekly Flickr in the accompanying video. “I want to make them laugh or smile, and if I can, surprise people so that he or she doesn’t understand how it’s made. I’m having so much fun and I want them to feel the same.”

Interview for Russian Photo (*)

Ben Heine at Tour de France Photo © Thomas David 2013

(Русская версия)

Russian Photo: How long have you been taking pictures? 

Ben Heine: I started drawing 20 years ago and started taking photos some 10 years ago.

Did you study photography professionally? 

Not really, but during my Journalism studies, I did have to manipulate cameras and learn a bit of analog and digital photography.

What is your profession? 

Now, I'm doing creative projects as a freelance artist and selling prints during exhibitions etc... This is my main source of income right now, but I'm planning to find another job soon because it's hard to make a decent living in the art industry.

You create truly unique pictures. How come such ideas? 

I've been working on graphic projects for many years. Mixing drawing and photography really came naturally.

You are called the master of photo manipulation. Do you agree with this? 

No, I don't, I think there are plenty of better people doing photo manipulations. I'm doing something different. I'm better at finding ideas and concepts and I love mixing mediums. Spending days on the same image (drawing or photo) to improve it and making it look good can be really annoying, I'm doing this only because there is nobody else that could do it exactly the way I want. I generally prefer the first steps of the creation process: finding ideas...

Pencil Vs Camera 64 - No More Routine

How much time does it take to create one work? 

Several days or several weeks, depending on the image complexity.

How difficult is it to combine photos and sketches? 

It's easy for me, I'm working like a robot, seeing pixels, lines and shadows instead of the whole drawing or photo. some of my pictures look like drawings because I like to edit them this way (view some before and after versions).

Which brands of photo cameras do you use? Do you teach master classes? 

I currently use Canon and Samsung cameras. I don't teach master classes, but I do some workshops and conferences from time to time.

Is it possible to combine originality and professionalism? 

Originality is the most important for me, then if people like it, I try to make a business out of it.

What can you advise to beginners who are looking for your style? 

Don't try to imitate any style, your creations should be a complete reflection of yourself only. With experience, you'll learn who you really are and you'll then be able to express what you really want.

What is the secret of your popularity? 

I'm not sure I'm popular. But I know that I'm always trying to be sincere with other people and true with myself. I'm also always trying to give the best I can and to be be innovative and generous in my art. I want to share love and energy. Hopefully the persons who view my works can feel it.

Have you visited Russia? Are you planning to visit our country? 

Not yet, but I love Russia and Russian culture. I've learned Russian language several years ago (see a small hand written note here below). I hope I can visit your country soon and organize an art event or exhibition!

Ben Heine autograph in Cyrillic alphabet for "Russian Photo"

(*) Russian Photo is a 10 year old magazine dedicated to photography. It gives information about art events and exhibitions, interviews of masters, photo tutorials, camera reviews and trends. Read the above interview on Russian Photo website at this link.

© 2013 Ben Heine

Интервью для Российское Фото журнал (*)

(Бен Хайне на Тур де Франс Фото © 2013 Томас Давида)

(English version)

Введение: Бельгийский фотохудожник Бен Хайне известен своими проектами Pencil Vs Camera, Digital Circlism, Flesh and Acrylic. С детства у него было много разнообразных интересов. Но с течением времени Бен все сильнее ощущал тягу к графике, благодаря чему смог найти свой стиль в искусстве и создать множество удивительных полуфото-полурисунков. О своем творчестве он с радостью рассказал нам в эксклюзивном интервью.

Российское фото: Здравствуйте, Бен! Расскажите пожалуйста, как давно вы занимаетесь фотографией?

Бен Хайне: Добрый день! Я начал рисовать двадцать лет назад, а фотографировать – около десяти.

Вы профессиональный фотограф?

Вообще-то нет, но я изучал журналистику, и там мне пришлось учиться пользоваться камерами, плюс кое-что нам рассказали об аналоговой и цифровой фотографии.

Кем вы сейчас работаете?

В настоящее время я фрилансер, занимаюсь творческими проектами, продаю свои фотографии на выставках и так далее... В данный момент это мой основной источник дохода, но вскоре я буду искать работу, потому что в сфере искусства трудно зарабатывать на жизнь.

Вам удается создавать поистине уникальные фотографии. Как приходят такие идеи?

Я уже много лет занимаюсь графическими проектами. Сочетание рисунков и фотографии для меня естественно.

Очень многие современные фотоиздания и сообщества по фотографии называют вас признанным мастером фотоманипуляций. Согласны ли вы с этим?

Нет, считаю, что многие обрабатывают фотографии качественнее, чем я. А у меня лучше получается придумывать всякие идеи и концепты и смешивать выразительные формы. Сидеть несколько дней над одним и тем же изображением – рисунком или фото, – стараясь довести его до совершенства, бывает довольно нудно, я занимаюсь этим лишь потому, что никто за меня этого делать не будет, но сам больше люблю первый этап творческого процесса: придумывать...

Pencil Vs Camera 64 - No More Routine

Сколько времени уходит на создание одной работы?

От нескольких дней до нескольких недель в зависимости от сложности.

Насколько трудно совместить фотографию и графику?

Мне это дается легко, я вижу не просто фотографию или рисунок, но еще и пиксели, линии, тени. Некоторые из моих снимков похожи на рисунки, потому что мне это нравится.

Какую технику вы выбираете?

В настоящее время я пользуюсь фотоаппаратами Canon и Samsung.

Что вы можете посоветовать начинающим фотографам, тем, кто ищет свой стиль?

Не старайтесь имитировать чей-то стиль, ваше творчество должно полностью отражать только ваш внутренний мир. С опытом вы познаете себя и научитесь выражать то, что хотите сказать.

Как вы сами думаете, в чем секрет вашей популярности?

Я не думаю, что популярен. Я знаю, что всегда стараюсь быть честен и с другими и с собой. Еще я всегда стараюсь делать все как можно лучше, и чтобы мое творчество было оригинальным и щедрым. Мне хочется делиться любовью и энергией. Думаю, что мои зрители это чувствуют.

Вы были в России? Планируете посетить нашу страну?

Пока нет, но мне нравятся Россия и ее культура. Несколько лет назад я учил русский и надеюсь, что вскоре удастся приехать к вам.

Будем рады вас видеть и желаем удачи!

И вам всего доброго!

В завершение нашего интервью Бен сделал нам 
своеобразный подарок – прислал свой автограф

(*) Портал Russian Photo продолжает 10-летнюю историю журнала "Российское фото", размещая самые интересные и полезные материалы о фотографии: информацию о событиях, портфолио признанных мастеров и талантливых фотолюбителей, исторические материалы, уроки фотографии, тесты, обзоры, новости и новинки фототехники. Читайте интервью на Российское фото  здесь.

© 2013 Ben Heine

Interview Voor Volkswagen Magazine - NL (*)

© 2013 Ben Heine

(Version française à ce lien | English version here)

INTRO: Ben Heine, auteur van het edito in de herfsteditie van Volkswagen Magazine, is een multidisciplinair artiest die speelt met technieken en kunstdragers. Hij combineert fotografie en tekenkunst, zoals in de reeks ‘Pencil Vs Camera’, maar werkt ook met het menselijk lichaam, bijvoorbeeld in ‘Flesh and Acrylic’. Een echte virtuoos met een potlood, maar evengoed bedreven in digitale technieken. Ben Heine stapt moeiteloos van de ene wereld in de andere, en het resultaat is altijd verrassend.

Peyo Lissarrague: Je studeerde journalistiek maar leerde jezelf tekenen. Maakt dat het moeilijker om erkenning te krijgen van collega’s?

Ben Heine: Autodidact zijn, heeft zo zijn voor- en nadelen. Door het feit dat ik geen kunst gestudeerd heb, zijn er ongetwijfeld al deuren voor me gesloten gebleven. En bepaalde collega’s kijken misschien wat op me neer. Anderzijds geniet ik enorm veel vrijheid. Ik kan nieuwe wegen bewandelen, ik ben niet gebonden aan academische dogma’s of een bepaald type onderwijs. Ik teken al sinds mijn prille jeugd, met veel passie. Ik heb hard gewerkt, ik geloof niet echt in talent. Tekenaar word je door te tekenen. Door vol te houden.

Je studeerde journalistiek en je bent tekenaar… je had bijvoorbeeld ook actualiteitscartoonist kunnen worden. Waarom koos je voor een andere weg?  

Ik heb veel respect en bewondering voor actualiteitstekenaars. Het is heel moeilijk om in enkele pennentrekken complexe situaties uit te beelden. Persoonlijk leg ik me liever toe op universele zaken, niet zozeer op dagdagelijkse details. Ik ben geen artiest die graag polemiek opwekt. Ik ben geen wereldverbeteraar, maar wil wel een boodschap van liefde en vriendschap uitdragen. Ik wil iedereen bereiken, mensen samenbrengen in plaats van te provoceren.

Je laat je inspireren door artiesten zoals Magritte. Is kunst een spel?

Ja, ik geloof in humor in kunst. In een ludieke, kinderlijke kijk. Wat natuurlijk niet impliceert dat ik geen humanistische waarden verdedig of diepgang zou missen.

Dat is ook wat je doet in je reeks ‘Pencil Vs Camera’. Je verbergt je niet achter optische illusies maar figureert zelf in je werk. Is dat een keuze?  

Mijn hand verschijnt inderdaad in die reeks. Ik hou een tekening vast die in de foto geïntegreerd wordt. Ik voelde van in het begin instinctief aan dat dat nodig was om een evenwichtig geheel te creëren. Het is natuurlijk geen mooie vrouwenhand, mijn hand breekt de harmonie een beetje. Op die manier wilde ik het maximum uit het concept halen. Ik wilde een bruuske overgang creëren tussen de verbeelding en de realiteit van de foto. Zo zie je heel duidelijk dat er geen Photoshop aan te pas gekomen is. Ik hou de tekening echt vast en kadreer mijn foto zo dat de lijnen overeenkomen. Dat vraagt heel wat fysieke inspanning!

Jouw idee werd al veelvuldig hergebruikt …

Vooral reclamebureaus lieten zich al inspireren door het concept. Ik vind dat goed, dat bewijst dat het een goed idee is! Voor mij is ‘Pencil Vs Camera’ een beperkte reeks. Als ik honderd beelden heb, stop ik ermee. Ik ben momenteel al met andere projecten bezig. Voor ‘Digital Circlism’ maak ik pointillistische portretten van beroemdheden maar dan met grote stippen en cirkels. ‘Flesh and Acrylic’ is een project rond het lichaam. Ik beschilder levende modellen van kop tot teen en integreer ze in een trompe-l’oeuil. En vorig jaar startte ik een muzikaal project op… een nieuw avontuur.

(*) Volkswagen Magazine is het officiële tijdschrift van Volkswagen met auto-advies, de laatste nieuwe modellen van Volkswagen, wedstrijden maar ook lifestyle, sport en festivals. Lees dit interview op Volkswagen Magazine website.

Editorial, interview and cover in Volkswagen Magazine (2013)

Ben Heine art for an article in Volkswagen Magazine (2013)

© 2013 Ben Heine