Ben was an exciting artist, as well as a really nice guy, back in march 2016 when we lost Ben, I wrote of him, “I hadn’t heard from Ben or spoken to him since his last London show, the rather unexpected news stopped everything. I can’t claim to have known Ben that well but it was a pleasure to know him in a small way both as a person and as an artist. And he was (is) a painter to be very much admired, it was always a pleasure to see his work hanging on (or leaning against) a gallery wall, to go to one of his shows and explore his shapes, his language, his forms, a pleasure indeed to chat with him about his work, his art and the making of art in general, always a treat to encounter him in his studio. He was a person and a painter always so alive with enthusiasm, art clearly excited him, painting did, he always seemed so happy to talk, to chat, and his work really was something to chat about. Whenever I did meet him I was always greeted with a great big grin and some positive words, it was always a pleasure to encounter the wonderful person that Ben Cove was. And as his friend Emily Speed has already articulated, I too feel cheated, there was indeed so much more to come, he’d only just turned 40 for heaven’s sake.  A painter who had produced so much already but a painter only just starting. I’m going to miss Ben as a person, I’m going to miss his smile and enthusiasm and I’m really going to miss Ben Cove as an artist, I’m going to miss not seeing any more work from a rather significant painter who was already standing out in a rather rewarding way”.

“Ben’s work sings with a joy of colour and form whilst playing with depth and surface.”

“Join us for the opening of an exhibition that showcases the work Ben Cove created during his 10 years at Space. With a practice that incorporates painting, sculpture, architecture, design and video, this exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in how artists work in their studio.” so say Space. Now, as a long standing East-London based artist, I can’t claim to be the biggest fan of Space and their rather aloof ways, that #LondonneedsArtists sign in their window over the road from us on Mare Street really does make me want to throw bricks at it, this isn’t the time and place though and as much as it is a shame that this isn’t happening in the Hackney Space where Ben was based (Space unforgivingly closed that gallery space so they could use it to squeeze more money out of artists), it is good to see Space doing this in their Ilford gallery space, we really do need to see Ben;s work again, we need to celebrate his art and the person he was.   

Space Ilford is at 10 Oakfield Road, Ilford, IG1 1ZJ . There’s a launch event on Tuesday 11 July 2023, 4 – 7.30pm. The gallery is open from Wed 11am – 5pm to Sat 11am – 3pm. Ben Cove in Space is co-curated by Karen Davies, Head of Artist Development at Space, and Melanie Cove. More details

“Ben Cove was a much-loved member of our artist community for 10 years, based at The Triangle studios in Hackney from 2006 until his untimely death in 2016. We are delighted to present a new solo exhibition of his work, co-curated by Karen Davies, Head of Artist Development at Space, and Melanie Cove, Ben’s sister, which will investigate aspects of Ben’s practice that have never been seen previously. We are especially pleased to announce that we will be showing the large installation piece known as Biker Gang Hideout (2016) for the first time since it was posthumously realised by Melanie and the team at Aspex Portsmouth in the 2016 solo show, Double Dutch” so say Space.

“During the decade at Space, Ben’s work became increasingly modular as he explored the nature of painting and the object by installing paintings within sculptures and large found images. These works investigate ideas of the constructed world, with reference to a broad range of influences, including 20th century modern architecture, art, design, museology and furniture, which Ben referred to as looking at “out of the corner of my eye”.

Melanie says of her brother’s work: “Ben was an experimental artist who explored video, installation, sculpture and drawing but could not resist returning again and again to paint. His inquisitive nature pushed him to re-approach painting at different points in his career, bringing an exciting freshness to his practice. His work sings with a joy of colour and form whilst playing with depth and surface. The elegance of the final paintings, however, conceals radical reworking which took confidence, which Ben reveals in the time-lapse films he made of the paintings’ evolution. This for me sums up my brother, as well as his work; calm and composed on the surface but continually striving to be remade better.”

The activity that takes place behind the closed doors of artists’ studios is often a closely guarded secret. The privacy needed to create, to work uninterrupted, to be alone with materials for periods of time, is precious to many artists. Karen Davies was inspired by Ben’s dedication to showing up at the studio every day, his commitment to making, failing and making again. Including the series Regular Work (2008), a series of paintings that were completed in a day, was essential in an exhibition that celebrates the artist’s relationship to his studio.

Karen says: “These paintings are about making something every day to move your practice forward. It’s a reason why Ben’s output was so prolific, and why he was such an important part of the Space community – he turned up and he engaged.” Ben was respected amongst his community at Space for his sharp intellect and keen wit. “Many of our studio artists hold happy memories of talking with Ben over a cuppa in his studio.”

We are grateful to be able to show several previously unseen works on paper and an early film from 2003, Left to My Own Devices, which was filmed and edited by Ben during his residency at Yorkshire Artspace, Sheffield. This is a rare opportunity to see Ben at work, through his own eyes, as he grapples with extraordinarily large-scale work. This interrogation of process was the bedrock of Ben’s practice and makes this exhibition a must-see for anyone interested in how artists work in their studio.

About Ben Cove  

Born in 1974, Ben Cove grew up in Manchester and was based in London. He graduated from Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2008 with an MFA having previously completed undergraduate degrees in Fine Art at Sheffield Hallam University in 2001 and Architecture at The University of Nottingham in 1995.

Ben exhibited extensively and internationally. Solo exhibitions include Modern Language at Peter von Kant, London (2015), Vernacular Hangover at Acme Project Space, London (2013), Practical Mechanics at Cell Project Space (2006), London and New Plastic Universal at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester (2004). Since 2016, his work has been posthumously exhibited a number of times, including Double Dutch, a solo presentation at Aspex Portsmouth and selection for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2016.

Ben was the recipient of a number of awards, including the Goldsmiths Warden’s MFA Purchase Award, several Arts Council Awards for Artists and an Acme Studio’s bursary as part of a four-year live/work residency at the Fire Station in Bow, London. In addition to studio work and residencies, he has taught and given lectures at various universities across the UK.