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Artist/Author Bio
Ben Fink:
Born in Baltimore in 1963, multidisciplinary artist and photographer Ben Fink found his early years shaped by hardships and personal tragedy. He lost both parents while still a child, setting into motion a turbulent life marked by numerous relocations and transient adult support.
Fortunately, Ben found refuge and a deep connection in the expressive power of art. It provided a mode of personal investigation to the neglected child. He channeled the essence of his bitter experiences into a growing artistic vision.
Ben's distinctive talent gained him access to the Memphis College of Art and later the University of Memphis. There he began exploring the traditions of painting, graphic design, photography, and art history. He began to blend photography with digital art, resulting in compelling and disturbing early works that explored themes of societal neglect and the quest to secure acceptance, as evident in the "Mill Street" series and "From Another Room."
Ben relocated to New York City in the late '90s. The geographical change marked a pivotal expansion of his artistic strengths, as he engaged with the vibrant commercial scene. Ben attained success as a photographer for major corporate brands like American Express. He soon become the trusted photographer for iconic food personalities and media stars, including Bobby Flay, Trisha Yearwood, and Eva Longoria, as well as the Culinary Institute of America, documenting their culinary creations for bestselling cookbooks. He also contributed the photo design for the cookbook for the pioneering AIDS charity, God’s Love We Deliver.
In all, Ben has provided visuals for more than 300 cookbooks, earning attention in high-profile national publications and garnering accolades from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and James Beard Foundation.
These professional achievements developed concurrently with Ben’s deeper quest for personal artistic projects. These include project series like "Shadow Realms" and "Modern Mythology." Such works explored complex social themes and showcased haunting narratives, delving into memory and personal identity, especially the artist’s fragmented youth. These beautiful but unsettling works established Ben as a notable figure in photography circles.
Today, Ben Fink remains a rare artist who can claim success in both commercial and independent circles. He has forged a career as a fearless chronicler of life's visible and hidden facets. From communities in Memphis to haunting landscapes in his "Shadow Realms" series, his works appear in prestigious exhibitions from New York to Los Angeles.
Ben Fink’s latest coffee table book, Noble Deeds, is the result of a seven-year period of documenting the grand spectacle of the LGBTQ International Court System. His painterly portraits merge photography with epic narrative to highlight issues of personal identity and social rebellion.
His forthcoming project, Modern Myth and Mythology, will be the next achievement in a career dedicated to melding artistic precision with social commentary. Ben Fink's work continues to tell stories that provoke thought, challenge norms, and celebrate the resilience and diversity of humanity.
Noble Deeds: Mythic Portraits of the Imperial Court Hardcover – January 15, 2025
by Ben Fink (Author). Foreword by Joe E. Jeffreys
Noble Deeds is the first book to draw back the curtain on the pageantry and philanthropy of The Imperial Court System, among the LGBTQ+ community’s oldest organizations. Award-winning photographer Ben Fink, working over a period of seven years, has captured scores of iconic Imperial Court personalities in a series of distinctive, lofty, and dreamlike tableaus. Wedding photographs to digitized fantasy scenarios, Fink has crafted iconic images that immortalize this royal gallery of unforgettable characters. Noble Deeds also offers an exclusive capsule history of the incredible saga of the Imperial Court System, documenting their unparalleled achievements in community-building, HIV fundraising,and queer activism.
This unique book, arriving in time for the Imperial Court’s sixtieth anniversary, properly placesthese fearless and fabulous trailblazers at the forefront of LGBTQ+ history.
"Noble Deeds" is a must-have collectors' volume for anyone interested in the intersection of art, drag, history, and LGBTQ+ activism.
Editorial Reviews
"Mesmerizing! Ben has truly encapsulated the exquisite history and unparalleled tapestry of the Imperial Court System. This is a masterwork, a true gift to monumentalize such an iconic piece of queer history." David Collins, Creator and Producer of Queer Eye and Legendary
"Ben Fink is an alchemist. He turns his camera into a paintbrush to create images that transport and immerse us in the dynamic beauty, history, and culture of historical times and foreign places. He dazzles, entertains, and informs us with every frame." David Zuckerman, Creator and Producer of Family Guy
"What gorgeous photographs! Ben Fink's fabulous collection not only illustrates the art of drag, it also expands the meaning of the art of photography." Lillian Faderman, Author of The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle
"The Imperial Court System, currently led by Queen Mother Nicole, has long been a generous and unflagging donor to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. That is why I'm especially thrilled by Noble Deeds. More people need to know about this amazing network and Ben Fink depicts them as the dashing and defiant LGBTQ community heroes I know and love." Judy Shepard, Co-Founder and President of the Matthew Shepard Foundation
"...the artistry of the subjects and the imagery is a wonder to behold! Congratulations to all who have contributed to this exciting and elaborate venture!" Patty Carroll, Former Professor of Photography, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Ben Fink's "Noble Deeds" is an illustrated peerage of the International Imperial Court. These seeming Renaissance portraits are a royal tour in color, imagination and play, also suggesting a lost episode of "Bridgerton". Noble, indeed. WM Hunt is champion of photography: collector, teacher, dealer, fundraiser and writer based in New York City.