BEN FRONCKOWIAK A RENAISSANCE MAN

You paint, you make films, you model. Would you consider yourself a Renaissance man? Is there truly such a thing? What makes for a legend in the painting world? I feel the need to express myself through making art and enjoy varying forms of expression—if that makes me a Renaissance man, then yes I would consider myself a Renaissance man. I don’t see myself as any one thing—I don’t like to limit myself. If I feel sad, then I might want to paint a funny caricature, whereas if I’m happy, then I might want to paint something more realistic in order to ground me—I let my feelings dictate what and how I approach art. I studied film production at UCLA and I was trained in running a production—this includes all aspects of a production: filming, directing, set designing, casting, acting, and editing. I don’t like to limit myself artistically and want to learn as much as I can. “Legend” is relative. There are so many remarkable talents who are overlooked while others gain attention but who (in my opinion) aren’t very talented. A legend is someone who fights for truth despite what the status quo deems acceptable.

You paint murals in public spaces, which adds a performative element to painting. Do you see a parallel between this form of art and modeling, which is also intended for the public gaze? Yes; I absolutely see a parallel. Modeling has helped me to be more confident with myself and my choices. I was initially extremely timid and only comfortable behind the camera; however, modeling helped me feel confident in myself and in being seen by an audience. Mural/live painting is similar, but whereas modeling is more superficial, live painting is a more vulnerable experience—not only are you watched superficially, but your painting is being judged as well. I open myself up entirely when I paint live.

You have spoken about the importance of volunteering, and of the importance of helping others to find their strengths and talents. Do you feel the art world does enough of this? Or do the ideas of the “struggling artist” and the “lucky break” still largely hold? What more can be done to foster artists from a younger age, and to encourage them to keep to what can seem like a very uncertain life track? (Pablo Picasso was quoted as saying: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”) There are no guarantees in life, but can more be done to build communities that keep artists on track for the long-term? I found inspiration in my teachers as they made me feel accepted by providing stability, encouragement and love. However, in terms of the inevitably difficult and uncertain path, I choose to embrace this. This uncertainty is what makes the career exciting and unpredictable. There are hurdles, but just like in anything, these hurdles teach us patience, discipline, determination and how to jump even higher. If everything was easy, it wouldn’t be worth it; however, overcoming adversity makes the thrill and foster empathy.

You work across a number of artistic platforms. How do you balance your time in the midst of professional uncertainty, and how do you maintain a cohesive artistic platform and professional identity across your different areas of expression and work? This is something that I let evolve. I don’t typically anticipate my steps—I usually listen to my intuition. I also try not to take a judgmental stance with opportunities; instead of viewing something as right or wrong, I try to train myself to find the pros and cons of a situation—if it’s something that I haven’t done before, I try to train myself how to do it. Hence, my journey has been serendipitous—it all falls under the umbrella of art making, and there’s no right or wrong way to do something. Uncertainty is inevitable, so why not have fun with it?

If you could paint anyone’s portrait 50 feet high in Times Square, whose would it be? I would create a character—she would be inspired by Botero and Picasso.