Benjamin Latham (b. 1994) is an American painter whose work explores the vernacular culture and shifting landscapes of the South and Southwest. A self-taught artist, Benjamin's practice is rooted in the rich narrative traditions of his Southern origins. He is currently based between Portland, Oregon, and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Benjamin's compositions navigate the intersection of memory and mythology, synthesizing the counter-cultural history of the West with the stark, enduring aesthetic of the high desert. His work interrogates the American West not as a static frontier, but as a living, evolving stage for contemporary stories, balancing the harsh realities of rural isolation with a distinct sense of magical realism.

Benjamin has exhibited his work nationally, with recent showings in Santa Monica, NYC, Durango, and Fort Worth

Artist Statement

My practice investigates the topography, symbolism, and cultural rhythms of the contemporary American South and Southwest. While my work is visually grounded in specific locales such as the high desert, roadside architecture, and the expansive rural horizon, I am primarily concerned with the narrative potential of these spaces. I view the landscape not just as scenery, but as a repository for history, folklore, and identity.

I employ a mixed-media approach, utilizing oil, oil stick, and pastels to build dense, textured surfaces that mirror the erosion and resilience of the terrain itself. My process is deeply influenced by the storytelling structures found in regional music and oral history, translating lyrical tension into visual form.

By situating my work in the liminal space between realism and abstraction, I aim to capture the specific atmosphere of life on the periphery. The figures and places in my paintings possess a quiet resolve. They are testaments to the grit required to inhabit the remote edges of the map.

Ultimately, my work seeks to reconcile the inherent beauty of these landscapes with their underlying strangeness, creating a space where the mundane and the mythic coexist.