Benjamin Anthony Morea (October 8, 1941 – May 2, 2026) was an American painter and anarchist activist.[1] He was notably friends of social theorist Murray Bookchin and radical feminist Valerie Solanas.[2][3]
Ben Morea | |
|---|---|
 Morea in 2024 | |
| Born | Benjamin Anthony Morea October 8, 1941 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 2026 (aged 84) Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupations | Painter, activist |
Life and career
editBenjamin Anthony Morea was born into poverty in Brooklyn, New York City, on October 8, 1941.[4][5] He became addicted to heroin and discovered painting while incarcerated and in drug rehabilitation.[6] In the 1960s, he adopted a style of abstract expressionism and befriended the co-founders of the Living Theatre.[7] In 1966, he co-founded the group Black Mask alongside Dan Georgakas, along with a semi-monthly newspaper of the same name.[8] Today, the newspapers are of tremendous value, often reaching hundreds of dollars.[9] The group notably participated in Angry Arts Week.[10]
In 1968, the name "Black Mask" was changed to Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, which essentially operated as a street gang.[11] The gang carried out most of its activities in the Lower East Side and staunchly supported the events of May 68.[12] After the group's dissolution, Morea and his wife moved to the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness.[13] In 2023, he attended the St. Imier Anti-Authoritarian International Gathering.[14]
Morea died in Colorado on May 2, 2026, at the age of 84.[15]
References
edit- ↑ Uesseler, Ariel (May 7, 2026). "A Life in Rebellion". Ill Will. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Monday Night 06.07.04 – 7pm –Ben Morea: art and anarchism". 16beavergroup.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009.
- ↑ "Entretien : Ben MOREA - l'Animisme et la Révolution". YouTube (in French).
- ↑ "Drogues et créativité". School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (in French). May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ Riots, Civil and Criminal Disorders. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1969. p. 4302. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Up Against The Wall Motherfucker! - Interview with Ben Morea". libcom.org. 24 March 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Interactivist -- Ben Morea -- Garbage Guerrilla". ARTicles. June 5, 2005. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Dan Georgakas". Babelio (in French).
- ↑ "« Up Against The Wall, Motherfuckers ! »". Lundimatin (in French). October 23, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ Neumann, Osha (2008). Up Against the Wall Motherf**kers: A memoir of the 60s with notes for the Next Time. Seven Stories. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-58322-849-4.
- ↑ Hahne, Ron; Morea, Ben (2011). Black Mask & Up Against the Wall Motherfucker : The Incomplete Works of Ron Hahne, Ben Morea, and the Black Mask Group. PM Press. p. 156.
- ↑ "Black Mask and Up Against the Wall Motherfucker: flower power won't stop fascist power". libcom.org. March 28, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ Sokol, Brett (September 15, 2016). "The Artist Ben Morea Returns to the Site of the Revolution". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Entretien avec Ben MOREA – Transmettre la flamme insurrectionnelle". Mouvement Municipal (in French). May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "For Ben Morea (1940-2026)". Anarchist Federation. May 10, 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.