The first first collection
Business Card man
The piece that started it all. Artist and entrepreneur Well Bent had recently been fired from a corporate sales job. He dug out his old business cards, reaching out to his network for support and help with what's next. After digitizing, the information on the cards lost importance, but the cards themselves - souvenirs of the thousands of connections which had shaped his professional life. 18 months, 3 failed starts and one close call with Canadian border patrol later, the first piece of business card art was born.
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Shake me to change how I look - Size : 19" x 25 “
In the first self portrait that artist C Rockwell B made here, he captured his golden locks, pink cheeks and adaptable eyebrows.
Unlike many of the other pieces where business cards serving as a representation of the people on his path, this piece features many actual images - realtors, artists and performers - people with public positions that financially prosper by being seen.
“Shake me and change how I look” is meant both figuratively and metaphorically.
Audiences can actually shake the piece, which moves the blue glass marbles so no one person sees the exact same image.
Metaphorically, the professional, personal and spiritual experiences that have impacted the artist most came from a shifting paradigm, profound realization or truth revealed. Not the routines, but these moments of shaking, challenge and uncomfort are the most important for growth.
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When words collide - Size 50" x 26 "
"When words collide" This intricate assemblage transcends its material origins to become a profound narrative on the interconnectivity of the modern professional landscape. Each card, once a solitary ambassador for an individual or entity, now contributes to a grander conversation—a visual symphony of relationships, opportunities, and exchanges.
The business card, a staple of professional interaction, is a testament to the myriad interactions that propel industries, foster collaborations, and ignite innovative ventures.
Viewers are invited to consider the stories encapsulated within each card—encounters, handshakes, and the unspoken promise of mutual benefit. Bent orchestrates these individual narratives into a collective experience, mirroring the way our individual journeys intersect and diverge in the sprawling expanse of the corporate ecosystem.
"When words collide" is a cartographic cacophony of professional kinship reminding us that behind every transaction lies the potential for a meaningful human connection.
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Natures Competition
Three weeks in New Zealand immersed in waterfalls, walking trails, caves and kiwis. But every time stealing a glance online its more war and destruction.
Exploring paradise knowing your brothers and sisters suffer somewhere is a half joy. Nothing I can do but feel sorrow. Nothing I can do but feel joy, grateful for my little but enough.
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Low hanging fruit - Size: 14" x 30"
Businesses love chasing low hanging fruit. The easy, juicy wins right within arms reach.This piece, made from a background of personal business cards from Bent's previous jobs selling newspaper advertisements and educational software, pays tribute to the animal built from the ground up, up, up who lives a life pursuing the high hanging fruit.
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Mycelium Connection
The mycelial network mushrooms create lead to the largest living organisms our world knows. Mirroring the complex web of human interaction that supports one another, each card, once a standalone entity, is intricately woven into an organic tapestry reflecting our social and professional lives. Here, C Rockwell B juxtaposes the underfoot, unseen natural networks with the overt networks of human exchange, prompting contemplation on the interdependence of ecosystems, both biological and societal. This piece serves as a metaphor for the entwined fates of humans and nature, and an homage to the unseen yet crucial connections that sustain and enrich life.
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Where to next? - Size 20' x 40'
Mother earths brain
cracked and spilled to the ether
a new cold war
her core no more
split in two
but not quite even
Nothing to hope for
Nothing left to believe in
They weep for the lost life
not for their mother
but for comfort and convenience
When they still had the other
No longer whole, a perfect circular sphere
And utterly displeased with the half they have here
make war with another
instead of mourning the mother.
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Missing middle
In a functioning society money flows up through the classes and briefly into the hands of the owners of industry before being recycled back down. This circular flow ensures sustainability, which is why the current system in the United States is a grenade that gets more dangerous to hold each passing second.
The missing middle represents the polarity of poverty and wealth in this nation, stretching the middle class to the edges until there is no more middle class.
It is only a matter of time for a society that looks like an apple core to topple over.
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Zeal - Size 20" x 19"
The Zebra symbolizes many communities and ideals that have shaped my life. Zebras Unite is a founder-led, cooperatively owned movement creating the culture, capital & community for the next economy.
And Design Thinkers Zeal w, a community of design thinkers which has produced amazing collaborations, ideas and inspiration.
And finally, when Zebras get together, it's called a dazzle. There's something dazzling when people and things come together to create something new.
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Water is life - Size 14" x 35"
As it turns out, having a strip of color on the top or bottom of a business card turns out to be a pretty popular option. Noticing this trend, Bent transformed them into the rainbow rain splashing to Earth from the heavens. The resource that every person and business is entirely reliant upon, and that which is taken the most for granted. Life needs water, water doesn't need life.
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Thirsty Bush - Size 36' x 14'
Captain Kirk had just touched down on his first real flight to space, and began recounting this transformative experience to his billionaire benefactor. But celebrations were in order, and champaign doesn’t shake itself. Peeling away from this profound moment of emotional connection, our hero sprays a bottle of champaign on the dry desert earth which eagerly absorbs the poison. Then, with absolute uncertainty, underhands the empty bottle into a nearby bush for his sycophants to deal with. An interaction lasting 30 seconds is now immortalized in this art, representing everything you need to know about our bald baby Bezos.This piece is dedicated to the bush who was perfectly happy before all these people came along, and will be perfectly happy after.
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The event octopus - 24" x 33"
Bent pivoted his company Piccles during the pandemic into the meetings and events industry as a creative audience engagement tool. This pivot led him to dive deep into Made entirely of business cards from people working in meetings, events and hospitality, the octopus represents the crazy intelligence and abundance of arms one needs to balance work, life, family and friends. Essentially America Ferrera's Barbie Speech
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Evil Eye - Size 28" x 28"
Far from its ancient origins, this modern talisman watches over you through the trials and tribulations of the corporate world. Each business card, once a token of professional aspirations, now serves as a protective charm against the dreaded specters of missed deadlines, overflowing inboxes, and never-ending meetings.
Next time you feel the weight of workplace woes, remember this evil eye is looking out for you, ready to bounce back any bad vibes with a cheeky wink and a nudge to not take it all too seriously.
