As a child I was lost in my imagination, preoccupied with the lives of ants, snails, spiders & mice. This fascination with small worlds continued through my life, blocking out the larger world around me. During my youth I was shy and huddled over my sketch pad in crowded rooms, interacting with people who showed interest in my drawings. Drawing was my social tool that helped patch the awkward silences. This sense of being alone was a motivation towards networking with like-minded artists in later years (after developing some necessary social skills) and founding the 'Underground Australian Art Collective' in 2002, which became the 'International Surreal Art Collective' in 2006.
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Most people assume that my last name 'Beinart' is made up or that my surname is Bein and I added Art to the end as a gimmick. The truth is that Beinart (pronounced Bay-nart) is my family name.
Drawing is my oldest outlet, an obsession that is deeply rooted and has become fundamental to my well being. I generally draw spontaneously and have no concept in mind as an image unfolds. Recurring themes are figures and portraits made of small images, characters and body parts. People often ask how long i take to complete a drawing. The answer is: I don't know. I prefer to keep my process painless by ignoring time.
In a completed drawing I often find reflections of the
human condition, which isn't surprising, as a majority of my process is
automatic (as was the Surrealist
tradition). I like to dip into the unknown and surprise
myself. Some call this phenomenon 'the collective
unconscious', but I am happy to leave it undefined. I don't like to spoil the mystery by intellectualising it. I never truly understand my images though I do
occasionally gain insight into my fears and desires. Feedback
has offered profound insights into my art and myself. Sharing my work is an
important part of the process. I am often motivated by the desire to
communicate my inner self to the world. This is how I became a shameless self-promoter and later a promoter of the group of Surreal Artists represented on this site.
My Drawings have been published in the following Books & Magazines: Metamorphosis, Murray Times A Progressive Novel, Virus Magazine #23, Silkmilk MagiZain #2 & #3, Kalimat #17, #18 & #23, Paper Tiger Comix #4, Logical Unsanity #3, Angel Circus Magazine, Ink Rinse, 13 Moon Synchronometer 2006, Visionary Tongue #22, Second Creation Issue 1 & Endeavors - University of North Carolina (winter 2008).
Many things have been said about my Toddlerpedes. They have attained a notoriety on the internet via popular blogs and social networking sites and have taken on a life of their own. Whether people love them or hate them, they have been posted all over cyberspace along with presumptuous comments about their creator. Many have said that I must be sick, twisted, psychopathic and maladjusted, while others have said much nicer things about me (which I won't go into as these comments are lies, dirty lies)! I never intended to shock people with my Toy Art. Genus Toddlerpedus is an extension of my sense of humor. I was amusing myself and my friends by assembling creatures from doll torsos, limbs and heads. In a similar vein to my drawings, I was creating larger forms from small segments. Toddlerpedes evolved over the years to imitate insects and mythological creatures. These days I am surrounded by them. They are my children, mini me's that I find irresistibly cute. The Toddlerpede has demanded much more attention than my drawings. The popularity of my little friends has been a pleasant surprise.
Toddlerpedes have been published in the following books & magazines Dot Dot Dash, FHM, Bizarre, Maxim, Virus Magazine #23, Inside Artzine, Stu, Provokator.org, Cheap Thrills, Fitzroyal & Angel Circus Magazine.
My community art projects have included founding The 'Underground Australian Surreal Art Collective' and The 'Surreal Visionary Art Forum'. I recently merged all of my online resources into The 'International Surreal Art Collective' (this website). I also started an independent publishing company 'beinArt Publishing' and have published a book featuring 50 International Surreal, Fantastic & Visionary Artists' titled 'Metamorphosis'. I worked with Angel Circus Collective for 2 years as the Art director and curated many group exhibitions. I am also collecting original art by our featured artists have plans to either to establish my own gallery or museum with the
beinArt Collection on rotation, or to donate the entire collection to a
public museum on condition that it remains as a collection.
More about my Projects.
Like many artists I am influenced by a number of things, including my immediate environment, ancient mythology & archetypes as well as individual artists within the Surrealist, Fantastic Realist, Underground Comic Art, Psychedelic, Pop-Surrealist & Visionary Art movements. Many of the contemporary artists who inspire me are featured on this website.
Continue adding original works to the 'beinArt Collection' and tour the showcase internationally.
Publish a second volume of Metamorphosis featuring another group of 50 artists.
A full overview of our plans for the future.
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