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Reed Benson

Reed Benson (born Reed Whitney Benson, January 4, 1973) is an American artist known for his fluorescent abstract and Neo-Expressionism paintings.

 

Born and raised in Atlanta, Benson spent his early childhood as a working actor, where he was featured in commercial advertisements and starred in productions for the Alliance Theatre.

 

In 1997, Benson graduated from the University of Georgia having earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music. He went on to pursue a career in music production and later became the President and Director of Artists and Repertoire, and Artist Development, for Stalking Horse Records.

Captivated by his mother’s collection of prints by Picasso and Miró, Benson later pursued independent study of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jackson Pollock. However, it was not until the death of his mother when Benson began his painting career as a form of self-therapy. Primarily focusing on the medium of acrylic, Benson attended aerosol and graffiti lessons in partnership with the Atlanta Beltline, a 22 miles open and planned loop of multi-use trail around the core of Atlanta. Benson has previously been accepted as a featured artist for the Piedmont Park Arts Festival. 

 

Benson adeptly intertwines his deep interest in quantum mechanics and music, as well as his experience with synesthesia, a sensory condition causing him to see music and hear color, in his work.

 

Today, Benson’s work is on display at American University’s School of Education in Washington D.C., The Braemar Lodge Hotel in Braemar, Scotland, and in other institutions. His art also belongs to private collections in New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and West Palm Beach. 

 

Benson’s work has previously sold at auction with proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations including Lost-n-Found Youth, an Atlanta-based organization that assists homeless LGBTQ+ youth.

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