ANIMALS MAGAZINE ISSUE 1

Have you ever been afraid in the ring?

Ha, I’m always a little scared. Keeps me fast and
sharp. It’s a good thing.

What is the rule with sex and fighting?

No fucking 10 days before a fight. I think at the end
of the day you’re giving up one thing for another.
Keeps you in bed early.

What are some of your prefight rituals?

I burn candles, I pray, temple, church, rabbi, con-
fession (laughs), I don’t care... I’ll take whoever’s
listening. I wear the same shirt always the night of
the fight. And a home-cooked meal from my friend
Julian before I go to the venue.

What do you love most about boxing?

Oh man, that’s a loaded question. Well, I want to
say all the history and the way it makes me feel but
I think at the end of the day I just love to fight. I love
that for so many years there have been others that
just love to fight. It is an art form; you can be a little
guy and whoop some big guy’s ass. It’s an art to
make someone miss and pay for it.

At the same time, I love that some brawler can go 149
and beat a beautiful boxer. You hope that the boxer
has the technique to win but at the end of the day in
boxing it’s Will vs. Skill. I love that it’s entertainment
put on in a “Final Fight Night” format; I love enter-
tainment and I love a crowd. Maybe there is some
masochist shit, I want to feel a little bit of pain and I
want to hurt someone...

Who are your biggest influences in boxing?

Everyone from Freddie Roach to Eric Brown; my
team: Scotty, Julian, Taylor; everyone close to me
who has helped me along the way. Then there are
some of the greats like Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and
Duran, Gatti, Mickey Ward. I just watched all these
guys do incredible shit and have incredible fights.

Of course my family. And also me, seeing what I am
worth as a man, win, lose or draw.

After your career is over, have you thought
of what you want to get into?

Yeah, I am 26 and I won’t be able to fight forever.
I’m looking at working in boxing when I’m done and
having a voice for boxing.

I know so much of the history and I have a little
different perspective than a lot of the guys. I’m also
able to vocalize some of the feelings that go into a
fight. Like, I am terrified going into a fight, which
boxers don’t like to admit. If you’re going into a ring
to fight a guy with two hands, it’s fucking scary.

SHOT BY WARD ROBINSON

STYLING:
Lisa Madonna

HMU:
Heather Rae

MODELS:
Amanda
James
Ben



By Jessica Hundley

Think of Ben Venom’s art as traditional handicraft This is a Centuries-old craft injected with testoster-
as interpreted by that hesher dude in 9th grade who one and teenage, howl-at-the-moon angst.
broke his arm spray painting “Pink Flink” on a rusted
train trestle and liked to finger bang girls (with his At the moment, Ben Venom is kicking ass. In May
good hand) in the backseat of his ’78 Pontiac Firebird. 2015 his solo exhibition, “Lets Go All the Way” at
Ever Gold Gallery opened followed by a month long
Venom works in quilting, yes - but this is quilting via artist residency at the De Young Museum. This sum-
shit-stache scumbags. Grandma quilting - but only mer he had work at Found / Made (a group exhibi-
if your grandma happens to be Gummo. His work tion curated by Roderick Kiracofe) at the San Jose
takes what was once relegated to Grange Halls and Quilt Museum and at Craft and Folk Art Museum
sewing circles and throws it into the hormone sweat L.A. for the Man-Made exhibition, which will travel to
and Marshall stack roar of the rock arena or the fire- at least two other museums through 2016.
lit chaos of a backwoods high school kegger.
There’s also his piece at the Japanese American Na-
His constructions, detailed and epic - consist of tional Museum for “Hello. Exploring the Super Cute
fucked up odes to heavy metal heroes, all your World of Hello Kitty” which will be traveling around
favorite thrashed concert tees transformed into the country for the next three years. 
some sort of stoner sacred geometry, a warped and
blasted vision that not only turns quilting tradition So forget what you know about quilting and go see
on its ear but also tears it a new asshole. the work of Ben Venom for Chrissakes. Animals
talked to him about art and shit.

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Photo by Ward Robinson

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Tell us a little bit about your background, where you What made you first decide to work in the medium fabric scraps to construct some really amazing
grew up, what first inspired you creatively?  of quilting and what does this medium give you that work. I like the idea of up cycling or re-use... Nothing
other artistic mediums don’t?  is thrown away! 
I grew up in the 90s in the Atlanta, Georgia punk
rock scene, and was introduced early on to the con- My textile work is directly inspired from the Gees Though I originally began my practice as a painter
cept of Do It Yourself. This mentality has followed Bend quilt exhibition I saw at the De Young Museum and printmaker, I began to transition to textile -
me through my teenage years and into adulthood. in 2006. I was blown away by the attention to based work in graduate school at the San Francisco
design, craft, and handiwork by women from a very Art Institute. While in graduate school I was slowly
Basically, don’t ever let anything hinder you from rural region in the American South, not too far from learning how to use the sewing machine via trial
seeing your ideas through to the end. When I began where I grew up. and error.
sewing I had no idea what I was doing... simply a
concept I wanted to create. I made a lot of mistakes, They did not have a lot of materials at their disposal Mistakes are a large part of my artistic process.
and asked a lot of questions along the way. and would use recycled denim jeans, blankets, and After seeing the Gees Bend quilts I decided to push



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the boundaries of my art and attempt to make a Your work combines heavy metal iconography with BEN VENOM
quilt. This first quilt would contain my collection of a traditional handicraft - when did you first start ARTWORK TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS:
Heavy Metal band shirts. listening to metal? 
1 In to the Night
For years I had amassed a large pile of torn up and I first started listening to heavy metal music as a Hand-made Quilt, Harley Davidson T-Shirts, Leather, Fabric
threadbare band shirts that I could never throw teenager and never stopped. I like the aggression, 71” x 59” (2013)
away. It’s not cool when your Slayer shirt turns to speed, and power associated with the genre. It can
mesh. Ha! be a release of sorts...therapeutic.  2 In to the Sun
Hand-made Quilt, Heavey Metal T-Shirts, Leather, Fabric
From there, my work has progressed to include To end, can you share a Ben Venom play list? Ten 83” x 59” (2013)
all types of material including donated / recycled bands that consistently blow your mind? 
fabric, denim, and leather.  3 Deerhunter
Sure... Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric
By stitching the donated fabrics into a unified piece 25” x 26” (2014)
the quilts are able to display a multitude of personal Kylesa - Dirty south progressive metal
histories. Everyone’s unexplained stain, tear, or rip 4 All the Aces
will be included and when displayed visitors will be Black Cobra - San Francisco speed metal duo that Hand-made Quilt with Recycled Fabric
able to see a piece of themselves woven into this pack a big punch 95” x 105” (2014)
larger history.
High on Fire - Long time Bay Area Metal power trio 5 Killed by Death
A collection of memories, dreams, and past experi- YOB - Low end slow doom Hand-made Quilt, Harley Davidson T-Shirts,
ences will be on view in the form of a 50” x 75” (2013)
functional quilt. 
Fugazi - D.I.Y.  6 Turn Up the Night
When sourcing materials for your pieces, what do Black Sabbath - The beginning of everything! Hand-made Quilt, Used Denim Jeans, Fabric
you specifically look for in terms of color, 85” x 107” (2013)
shapes, etc...? 
SLAYER - SLAYER 7 King of Kings
I look for a variety of items including texture, color, Mastodon - Ever changing ATL radness Hand-made Quilt, Heavy Metal T-Shirts, Fabric
design, and functionality. 75” x 75” (2012)

However, a large source of my materials are dona- Red Fang - Stoner Rock
tions; so I use what I have at my disposal and work
within those boundaries.  Hazzard’s Cure - Speed metal shredders





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KILL. FUCK. PLAY.