Making Art with Music - Literally!
If you’re a fan of both art and music, then you need to know about Ben Riley - the artist who literally paints with sound. Okay, so not sound exactly, but vinyl records, actual, proper, vinyl records!
Instead of picking up a paintbrush, Ben smashes, grinds, and sculpts old vinyl into incredibly detailed black-and-white portraits of music legends like Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, and David Bowie. It’s the kind of creative madness that makes you stop and say, “Wait, what?!”
Ben’s work is more than just cool to look at - it’s poetic. He doesn’t just see vinyl as old plastic; he sees it as a time capsule. Each record holds energy, emotion, and history, and he gives that history a new face - literally. From a distance, his portraits look like slick, high-contrast paintings. But up close? You realize every detail is made from shattered fragments of actual records. It’s like sonic recycling turned visual storytelling.
Originally from Staffordshire, Ben’s been in the art game for years. He was sketching as a kid, diving into formal art training by his teens, and went full-time pro in 2002. But it wasn’t until he started experimenting with vinyl that his style really hit its stride. Since then, he’s been doing live demos (yes, smashing records live on stage), showing his work in Soho galleries, and attracting collectors from all over - including celebs like Pharrell Williams and Keith Richards.
What’s especially impressive is that Ben doesn’t use any pigment - just the raw material. It’s all vinyl, used in its natural black form, which gives his work a stunning monochromatic depth. The light hits it just right and suddenly you’re seeing subtle shifts and textures you’d never get from paint. He lets the medium do the talking, and the result is something that feels gritty, nostalgic, and super fresh all at once.
And get this - he’s now taking it a step further. Lately, Ben’s been incorporating volcanic black sand into his work, creating what he calls his “greatest body of work to date.” It’s still got that powerful, minimal look, but now he’s pulling straight from the earth. It’s like he’s replacing man-made nostalgia with natural force - redefining his style while keeping that signature Riley punch.
At the heart of it all, Ben Riley isn’t just making art - he’s preserving memories in the most unexpected way. He takes the music that shaped us and turns it into faces that stare right back at us, full of soul, depth, and a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll magic!
So the next time you find a scratched-up vinyl collecting dust in your attic, think twice before throwing it out. In Ben’s hands, it could become something unforgettable.
Commissions welcome, please ask for details :)