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Signed, Sealed and Delivered

Posted in Art, art on paper, art school, current events, events, exhibits, figurative, Miscellaneous, mixed media, monotype, nude, oil painting, openings, Painting, printmaking, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2011 by Tom Bennett

Silvermine Art Center in New Canaan, CT is organizing a fundraising event it has hosted for 10 years now, Signed, Sealed and Delivered. It’s an art sale and auction designed for collectors and art lovers featuring over 500 small, 4″ x 6″ original works in all media for sale at $50 each, to benefit the Center’s programs and outreach.

I’m contributing these 3 tiny paintings, all oil over monotype on Rives BFK printmaking paper. I rarely, if ever, paint this small with oil and I find it to be a disciplined exercise in control and direct manipulation of materials and form. Hellzalotta of fun.

Tom

ssd1

SSD 1, oil on monotype on paper, 6″ x 4″

ssd2

SSD 2, oil on monotype on paper, 6″ x 4″

ssd3

SSD 3, oil on monotype on paper, 4″ x 6″

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nuthin made, nuthin to show

Posted in Art, current events, laelia e. mitchell, Photography on September 19, 2011 by laelia e. mitchell

that’s right … last week was work for pay.  nuthin more, nuthin less and nuthin to show.  i promise this time next week, there will be something worth reading and seeing.  until then … here’s a picture of one of my images in a show curated by brian dupont opening october 6 in new york.  here’s a link for more info extra gallery

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Like Any of My Shit is that Important: Matisse, Monotypes and Moma

Posted in Art, art on paper, collection, current events, events, exhibits, figurative, homage, mixed media, MOMA, monotype, museum, nude, printmaking, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , , , , , on August 12, 2010 by Tom Bennett

I ran over to MOMA ( the Museum of Modern Art, for all those neophytes) the other night and zipped right in with a membership card through the thousands of tourists and what seems like -every friday night at MOMA- a holiday weekend at JFK. I visited a great show from their Contemporary collection, and a mind-blowingly large retrospective of Henri Matisse. Among the intense range of his paintings and drawings from his years in Paris, Morocco and Nice were some monotypes which he obsessively did for several months in 1914. He made 70 that year, 10% of his lifetime total. The simple, rich, heavy, flat yet deep black with contours drawn to reveal stark white lines against said black were powerfully elegant.

I came home and played around with the black that I had drifted away from. Here is a figure I made using tools like a screwdriver, pencil, knife and razor blade. I’m also including a related but tonally very different image, one from a series made with india ink, pencil and letraset ink on paper.

neverland 2
Neverland 2, 2008,monotype, 14″ x 10″

neverland
Neverland 1, 2008, mixed media, ink, pencil, 11″ x 8″

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Monotype: Weltschmerz

Posted in Art, art on paper, current events, figurative, monotype, printmaking, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , on July 9, 2009 by Tom Bennett

I’m revisiting the old but mild psycho-dramatic narrative. I have been aware, recently, of a mild personal and universal miasma as I walk through Times Square late in the evening.

sinking in midtown

Sinking in Midtown, monotype, 11 x 17

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Art World Mascots

Posted in Art, current events, events, film, Tom Bennett with tags , , , , , on June 10, 2009 by Tom Bennett

This film just came out: Herb and Dorothy Its playing in New York.

Herb and Dorothy Vogel were a working class couple living in a rent controlled one bedroom apartment and they spent all their money on contemporary art. The stipulation was it had to be under $100 and it had to fit in the car. Over the past 45 years they amassed a huge half-billion dollar collection they stuffed in their apartment. They eventually donated -not sold- the entire collection to the Smithsonian.

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Old Man Take a Look at My Life

Posted in Art, art on paper, current events, figurative, monotype, portrait, printmaking, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , on May 27, 2009 by Tom Bennett

I made a monotype for my father on his 90th birthday celebration.
Tom Bennett

It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academicism. There is no such thing as good painting about nothing.
- Mark Rothko

harry Bennett Sr, 90th year

Harry, 2009, monotype, 18 x 12

click here for larger image

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Affordable Art

Posted in Art, current events, events, exhibits, Miscellaneous, recession, Tom Bennett with tags , , , on May 8, 2009 by Tom Bennett

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A Yellow House on the Main Street
Siddharth Parasnis
Courtesy of Hang Art Gallery

Recession hurtin’? Want good, reasonably priced art? Huh? well do ya? Check out theAffordable Art Fair in NYC going through Sunday the 10th.

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LizardMan Tips the Scales on Coney Island

Posted in "But Is It Art?", Art, current events, events, performance, Photography, Tom Bennett, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on April 22, 2009 by Tom Bennett

So my niece Margaret (Meg), a fine photographer – Meg’sBlog– comes over to hang out and paint, but we decide to head on out to Coney Island instead, to shoot some photos and maybe spot LizardMan. Steph prompted the whole idea in an earlier post, but it was well past his show time when we got in the car. The fog was thick as soup and Meg and I were crawling around in the misty mess when finally we spotted the Circus Sideshow Freak Bar, and low and behold, there was Lizardman hmself, holding a post-performance chat with his fans and a few gecko groupies. He spoke of his sword swallowing techniques among other things, and we took some pictures. His dedication to his self-mutilation –– that is, uh, craft – is remarkable. Well, here are some shots.
Tom Bennett

This was Coney Island in the fog :
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And then we meet Jim Morrison- uh, I mean, the Lizardman:

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French kisses are a dollar.

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LizardMan and BatsBoy.

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Meg and the Fire Eater’s chin.

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Meg is pleased by snakes.

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Freaky, But is it Art?

Posted in "But Is It Art?", Art, current events, events, exhibits, Miscellaneous, science, Tom Bennett with tags , , , , , , , , on April 10, 2009 by Tom Bennett

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Ever since my father took me to Madison Square Garden, when I was 7, to see the Barnum and Baily circus I have been fascinated with it and the side show.
An artist and photographer, James Mundie, let me know about this.
There is an exhibition of human oddities and medical anomalies at a gallery in downtown Los angeles called the Todd Browning Gallery, named after the director of the classic horror film, “Freaks”. The gallery specializes in vintage and contemporary photography by international artists. The show is called Shock and Horror

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Jesus was a Generation Y.

Posted in Art, current events, events, exhibits, Miscellaneous, news, openings, Tom Bennett with tags , , , , , , , on April 8, 2009 by Tom Bennett

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from New Museum.org:

The New Museum’s current show “The Generational: Younger Than Jesus” will be the first major international museum exhibition devoted exclusively to the generation born around 1980, tapping into the different perspectives, shared preoccupations, and experiences of a constituency that is shaping the contemporary art discourse and prescribing the future of global culture. In the United States, this demographic group is the largest generation to emerge since the Baby Boomers, while in India half the population is less than twenty-five years old; the sheer size of this generation ensures its worldwide influence. By bringing together a wide variety of artists and contextualizing their different approaches, “Younger Than Jesus” will capture the signals of an imminent change, identify stylistic trends that are emerging among a diverse group of creators, and provide the general public with a first in-depth look at how the next generation conceives of our world. Revealing new languages and attitudes, the exhibition will comprise a portrait of the agents of change at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

It opens today in manhattan.

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Monotypes in Massachussetts

Posted in Art, art on paper, current events, events, exhibits, Miscellaneous, monotype, museum, openings, printmaking, Tom Bennett, work on paper with tags , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2009 by Tom Bennett

This Saturday, April 4th is the opening for a group show of monotypes curated by the
Monotype Guild Of New England , an organization dedicated to the unique print, of which I have been a member for a few years. The guild boasts some very dedicated and talented printmakers. The show, Endless Possibilities , is at Lynn Arts, in Lynn, Massachussetts, and is one of several events being held throughout the Boston area in conjunction with the North American Print Biennial. So if anyone is in the neighborhood over the next month and likes free alcoholic grape drink and soft cheese-foods, check it out.

Tom Bennett

This is the monotype I have have represented in the exhibition:

boreas and orythia, after rubens

Borias and Orythia (after Rubens), 2008, monotype, 16 x 20

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Better Late Than Never…

Posted in "But Is It Art?", 1904 World's Fair, abstract, Art, art on paper, awareness, City Museum, collection, current events, digital, Drawing, exhibits, FREE ART, Jason Gray, Links, Miscellaneous, mixed media, museum, news, oil painting, Painting, Photography, portrait, Rust-Belt, St. Louis, St. Louis Art Museum, Uncategorized, Work in Progress on March 30, 2009 by Jason Gray

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O.k., so I’m posting late this week….In all earnestness, this is not going to be much of a post at all.  I spent this last weekend in St. Louis, which is to be my new home, come May 1st.  From all perspectives, this will be a good move, as it will allow my wife and I to save money, revolve around a smaller nucleus, have more space, do more things, etc.

Nonetheless, this post is centered around the photographs that I took while doing other things, this weekend.  It is image heavy, so be forewarned… Read more »

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Funny, sad “Guest of Cindy Sherman”

Posted in Art, current events, film, performance, Photography, Tom Bennett with tags , , , , , on March 28, 2009 by Tom Bennett

We went to see the documentary,“Guest of Cindy Sherman” , last night in Greenwich Village and it left me with mixed feelings. Very entertaining and maybe a little too long, it paints a great, bitter picture of the overblown downtown art scene, the biggest joke being the bloated Julian Schnabel’s performance. I’d recommend seeing it if and when it comes to your neck of the hemisphere.

Tom Bennett

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Links Du Lapin #19

Posted in Art, current events, exhibits, Toni Tiller with tags , , , , , on March 23, 2009 by Toni Tiller

This link combines my love of several things, art, subways, irreverence, and outlaw parties. Improv Everywhere is a group dedicated to causing “scenes of chaos and joy in public places”, and they decided to have a gallery opening in the 23rd street subway. Check it out.

An art collective I belonged to years ago, Blueprint, did something similar about 15 years ago, but instead of treating what was there as art we went down and hung our own. It took about a month of planning, measuring out and allocating billboard spaces to about 25 artists, who then had the rest of the month to make something according to size. Then on the appointed date we swarmed the station with a bucket of wheat paste and a makeshift bar. I can’t say any of the art hung was particularly good or groundbreaking, but we had a hell of a time. Considering the strict vandalism laws it was surprising only one person got arrested and they had to work really hard to get that to happen. I guess if you strip off all your clothes, wrap yourself in paper and paste and then roll around on the hood of a police car eventually they have to give in and arrest you.

-Toni “bunnie” Tiller

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Written Letter Project: Update One

Posted in "But Is It Art?", Art, awareness, current events, digital, facebook, internet, Jason Gray, Miscellaneous, mixed media, myspace, news, Psychology, social networking sites, Uncategorized, Work in Progress on March 20, 2009 by Jason Gray

Well, it has been nearly a week since I posted my intention to delete all of my internet accounts in favor of a more holistic approach to networking and associating with my friends and peers; since then, I have deleted my Etsy account, one of my ulterior Myspace accounts, my Linked-In Profile, and both of my Photobucket accounts. I also switched some of my information concerning business stuff over to my business email, in preparation for deleting my personal email address soon. On Facebook, I sent out a message to some of my friends, ones who I only have information for through that site, requesting their addresses. I will be deleting my Facebook account on next Tuesday.
So far, the ground beneath my feet has not opened up, and I have not been swallowed into Read more »

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Links Du Lapin #18

Posted in Art, current events, Links, news, recession, Toni Tiller with tags , , , , on March 18, 2009 by Toni Tiller

This one comes from the New York Times, via my daily Boing Boing perusal. Is Detroit the next big artist’s colony? With houses being sold for as little as 100 dollars, it might just be.

-Toni “bunnie” Tiller

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Written Letter Project–Neo-Luddites, Unite!

Posted in "But Is It Art?", awareness, current events, internet, Jason Gray, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized on March 10, 2009 by Jason Gray

Generally, on every one of my days off, I clamber out of bed, put on some water for coffee, and go straight to the computer. Once there, I proceed to worship, red-eyed and impervious to the real world; but what am I worshiping, and why? I am inexplicably drawn to the scale of human broadcast, and to the scope of internet-bred, interconnectivity. The pull is something preternatural; something I desire without real necessity for it. In concept, the abstract of social networking sites is Read more »

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(sub)Urban Decay

Posted in Art, current events, digital, Jason Gray, news, Photography, recession on March 6, 2009 by Jason Gray

Here are a couple photos that I took recently on a trip out of Chicago.  These were all shot in Springfield, Illinois at the site of an abandoned K-Mart.  It is strange to see such a huge empty building and parking lot in a place where you would expect a department store to be sustained.  I guess the morning headlines tell the truth….

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All shots, Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-x

Read more »

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Live Hard, Create Compulsively, Die Young

Posted in abstract, Art, current events, Links, Martin Kippenberger, Miscellaneous, mixed media, MOMA, Tom Bennett with tags , , , , , on February 27, 2009 by Tom Bennett

I first discovered Martin Kippenberger’s work in London at the Tate Modern a few years ago. I responded to his energized use of various mediums and his sense of dark humor, particularly in his paintings. Apparently he was a crazy-ass mess. He died of liver failure back around the time I first saw his work.

MOMA presents a big retrospective which I will see. Who wants to go? The Times has a review by Holland Cotter: Martin Kippenberger

Tom Bennett

1 Comment »

Synesthesia

Posted in "But Is It Art?", abstract, Art, awareness, current events, Jason Gray, Miscellaneous, neuroscience, news, Psychology, Scientific American Magazine, synesthesia, Uncategorized on February 27, 2009 by Jason Gray

Scientific American: Hearing Colors, Tasting Shapes [ NEUROSCIENCE ]
People with synesthesia–whose senses blend together–are providing valuable clues to understanding the organization and functions of the human brain

My reaction:
After reading this article, it seems that synesthesia might be a completely perceivable condition, or at least that its possibility appears logically explicable. As our society becomes Read more »

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