The Real Deep Dive
Explosions (2010-2013)
Filmmakers, musicians, performers, stylists—those years were bursting with collaborations. I wasn’t discovered or suddenly propelled into anything. The phone rang some (“Can you make a purple goddess from outer space?” was a good one), but it wasn’t a barrage of opportunities. I worked many, many angles to build connections with interesting people, and the work expanded with each new relationship: props, costumes for film, music videos, photo shoots and one-off commissions. I found myself back on soundstages, only now wearing costumes I had made. I followed every obsession, gave myself room to experiment, and made plenty of things that never saw the light of day. I wasn’t particularly concerned with making money or chasing the gallery opportunities many of my peers pursued. I couldn’t have put it into these words then, but: “I wanted to live an interesting life.” And I did.
YOU ARE HERE: 2010–2013
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Grad school application prep, 2013
“By 2013, I could see a clear trajectory in my work, but it still felt preliminary to something more mature. I felt like the work had begun to outgrow my own intellect. I had explored a whole lot over four years; now I needed to catch up with the work and learn from it. I saw grad school as a place to figure out how the various components of my practice connected back to me, and to better articulate ‘why’ I did what I did.”
— Adapted from Ben LaRose’s graduate school application notes and SAIC application, 2012–13
Plus vite que ton corps, 2013
Music video by Pierre Lapointe.
Director: Alexandre Grégoire. Director of Photography: John Londono. Art Direction: Alexandre James, Alexandre Grégoire. Costume Design: Ben LaRose. Styling: Mélanie Brisson. Makeup: Roxanne Krief. Performers: Arielle Cissy Loé, Franck Lenaveaux, Ben LaRose, Jonathan Larose, Marianne Pelletier, Alexianne Montpetit-Meilleur, Thomas Brassard, Alexandre James, Félix-Antoine Boutin.
Behind the scenes of Plus vite que ton corps, 2013
On-set photographs from the filming of Pierre Lapointe’s Plus vite que ton corps music video.
La sexualité, 2013
Music video by Pierre Lapointe + Random Recipe.
Director: Jérémie Saindon. Production: Antler Films / Sach Baylin-Stern. Assistant Director: Cédrick Kluyskens. Director of Photography: Gabriel Brault-Tardif. Assistant Camera: Jacques Bernier. Gaffer: François Legris. Key Grip: Yanka Pelletier. Art Direction: Louisa Schabas. Styling & Designs: Rad Hourani, Spring/Summer 2013 collection. Models: Folio. Makeup: Leslie Ann Thomson. Costume: Ben LaRose. Visual Effects: Ghost Ship / Fly Studios. Editing: Sébastien Delporte.
On the set of La sexualité, 2013
Claudine Prévost, Pierre Lapointe and Ben LaRose during filming of La sexualité.
“When singer-songwriter Pierre Lapointe came to Vancouver to perform at the 2010 Winter Olympics, I went out on a limb and emailed his agents. I sent along my work and asked if there might be a chance to meet. Pierre wrote back himself: ‘I already know your work and, seriously, I fell in love with it!’ He ended his message with: ‘I don’t know when or how we’ll collaborate, but we’ll make it happen... I promise!’
We met in person a few days later.”
Défense Tropicale, 2012
Self-portrait in my parents’ living room, wearing Défense Tropicale.
Défense Tropicale, 2012
Garmenture by Ben LaRose. Photography: Jeff Christenson.
Fern, 2011
Garmenture by Ben LaRose. Photography: Jeff Christenson.
Parallelogram + Prints, 2011
Micro collection of garments. Styling & Model: Mélanie Brisson · Hair & Makeup: Evangelia Pavlakos · Photography: Sébastien Roy
Putting things on, 2006–2012
“I remember in the early years claiming that wearing helmets and wrapping fabric around my head helped me think. Over time, what started as an arbitrary declaration actually turned into a studio strategy, where putting things on (or trying to) and snapping quick pics became increasingly important. Ensued a number of key collaborations with photographers and stylists.”
On the set of The Little Mermaid, 2011
Photo documentation of the mermaid costume created by Ben LaRose for the short film The Little Mermaid, directed by Nicholas Humphries.
“By this point, I was becoming known in Vancouver as the guy who could make weird costumes. If someone needed something unusual, I was the person to call—which is how I ended up making a mermaid tail for short horror film The Little Mermaid.”
Brief Encounters, 2011
Editorial photographs of costumes created for the collaborative performance Brief Encounters 16. Photography: Jeff Christenson.
Brief Encounters 16, 2011
Live collaborative performance by Ben LaRose and Hank Pine.
Performance Works, Vancouver, BC, April 14–16, 2011.
Artistic Directors: Mara Branscombe, Katy Harris-McLeod. Guest Programmers: Heather Lindsay, Cris Derksen. General Manager: Kristina Lemieux. Technical Director / Lighting Designer: Kyla Gardiner. Produced by: The Tomorrow Collective. Video Documentation: Flick Harrison.
Brief Encounters 16, 2011
Still image documentation of live performance. Photography: Luke Moloney.
“In 2011, I was invited to participate in Brief Encounters, a multidisciplinary performance series that paired twelve artists from different disciplines into six unlikely collaborations. Each pair was given two weeks to create a new fifteen-minute performance. I was invited to participate as a “sculpture-fashion designer... or whatever it is that you define yourself as!!”
Pierre Lapointe — L’électron Libre, 2011
ELLE Québec, Montréal, April 2011. Vest: Ben LaRose · Tank top: Travis Taddeo · Pants: Samuel Mercure · Shoes: Shoto Styling: Mélanie Brisson · Assistant Stylist: Vicky St-Hilaire · Photography: Sébastien Roy
Ongoing Collection, 2010-11
Selection of garments from the Ongoing Collection, including bavette, vests, elephant-ear pants, and grad pants. Photography: Jeff Christenson.
“While things were getting sculptural in the studio, I was still making garments. I had only been interested in the fashion industry for a brief moment, and knew quickly that its seasonal system wasn’t something I cared for. The Ongoing Collection was my alternative: individual one-offs accumulated over time rather than a conventional collection produced in multiples. It resulted in a much more sustainable way of working for a one-person operation.”
Étude d’impact, 2010
Drawing on paper. 9 × 14 in.
Sculptural experiments for Catastrophic Proportions, 2010
Plaster body molds, foam blocks, padding and upholstery materials.