Ben Hecht has been a professional artist since 1994. He received a B.A. in Fine Arts and an M.A. in Education from UC Santa Cruz. When not creating his artwork he is also the CEO of VivaBooks, a company which produces interactive books for the iPad and iPhone. His art has been featured in GT Weekly, MetroActive Newspaper, The Santa Cruz Sentinel and San Jose City Hall.
Hecht's Aquas Aliis series (Other Waters) and "Aquas Aliis Vitrius" (resin) are a combination of his original ocean photography and extensive use of colorful encaustc (beeswax) paints. Hecht creates all his paints from scratch, utilizing a local apiary (bee colony), fine dry pigments and dramar resin in crystallized form. This series uses photography taken from above, combined with intense glassy blue and green encaustic beeswax juxtaposed with heavily textured whites to create a striking contrast and unique visual style. The Vitrius (glass) works are further enhanced with a thick layer of UV resin which protects the work and creates an incredibly deep and shiny surface.
The "Urbicus" series meaning "of the city" in Latin, is 3D wall sculpture created using photography captured by an aerial drone (quadcopter) with attached camera. Hecht then painstakingly constructs the sculpture using thousands of white and transparent Lego bricks, computer parts and other interesting objects such as dice and game board pieces. He creates a 3D city in miniature. The works are then coated in a heavy layer of UV resin allowing some elements to be submerged while others gently protrude through the surface. The art is finished in a matte, glossy or blended surface to create varying effects.
Hecht's work is included in many private and public collections including Scripps Institute, Chapman University and San Jose City Hall. Custom commissions are available.
"In my "Aquas" work I am always looking to maintain that dynamic balance of overpowering force and serene calm that one feels in the presence of an actual wave. For me, the key to capturing that moment in the art is to embrace both intention and accident. Then I am able to find the movement and energy hidden in the water and bring it to the surface."
Ben Hecht
