Ben Smith from Hereford talks to BBC Hereford and Worcester about his work process.

"When studying fine art printmaking, I always tried to emphasise on the processes and techniques of making a print.

Artwork by Ben Smith

In lithography, which I am particularly interested in, I always try, when working on the stone, to experiment as much as possible when using materials and when dealing with subject matter that is conceptual and contemporary.

It is important to me that my images are bold, revealing, sombre and show a range of mark making and tonal variation.

While studying lithography, my influences were and still are, the lithographs of Jasper Johns. In his lithographs, you see a variety of tones, mark marking and abstraction, which makes his images so powerful to which I am attracted.

I regard lithography to be the most interesting and versatile in the printmaking field. I take enjoyment in the way you can add imagery onto the stone and then manipulate and erase it with a variety of drawing materials and to convey a sense of fragmentation and integrity to the image.

Artwork by Ben Smith

The images featured, were produced from accounts by Richard Cox. Richard, an artist himself, was a visiting lecturer while I was on fine art and had seen some of my previous work containing fly’s.

He went on to tell me of when he was visiting a hospital and how he had come across hundreds of files in a disused room, layered in dust and containing the surnames of all the dead who had died at the hospital.

I chose to try and document this at a time when I was struggling for subject matter and chose to incorporate the fly, as it is a meaning of death."

Ben is exhibiting his work at The Courtyard Theatre until August 31st.

If you wish to contact Ben about his work you can email him on:basmith3578@hotmail.com