BEHIND THE SCENES - MEET BEN MUNOZ
Ben Muñoz carving color block for “Heed” in Flatbed’s professional studio, 2020.
Inking of “Epilogue” key block
Ben Munoz
Ben Muñoz is an award-winning Texas-based artist. Muñoz's work is often reflective of his heritage, upbringing, and current surroundings. Muñoz has artwork in several private and public collections across the United States such as the Mexic-Arte Museum and the National Museum of Mexican Art. He is also heavily involved in the Texas art community, he is the co-founder and director of Familia Printshop, Dallas’s first and only community printshop. He also currently serves as board president of Print Austin, an annual month-long printmaking festival located in Austin, Texas. Muñoz has had work published by Flatbed and Coronado Print Studio. His work has been reviewed and discussed in multiple publications such as D Magazine, the Austin Chronicle, and the Sante Fe Mag.
Muñoz’s work which is deeply rooted in his family and family heritage juxtaposes images from popular culture with the mysterious and the well-known.
When Ben came to Flatbed in 2020 to create his first chiaroscuro woodcuts, we dove in headfirst with this process which involves two carved woodblocks for each image. Working with our printer Alex Giffen, Ben created two stunning prints: HEED and EPILOGUE. He hand-carved the secondary color blocks on-site. Editions of fifteen were made of each of these woodcuts. Link to see them in his collection.
In July of 2021, Ben returned to create the suite of three chiaroscuro woodcuts known as LAS HERMANAS. The three prints have indiviual titles of FLORENCE, DAPHNE, and JANE. Printer Richie Peña editioned the suite and they were signed released for sale September 22, 2021. Link to read more about these new beautiful new woodcuts.
Looking forward to February of 2022, Ben will be coming back to create a woodcut on a more monumental scale. We’re up to the challenge and are excited to see what new imagery he will carve!
Left to right: Lead and Editioning Printer, Richie Peña, Ben Muñoz, Master Printer Alex Giffen pose with the final approval proofs for Las Hermanas.