About Ben Beeton
Curriculum Vitae | Artist Statement | Methodology | Current and Future Events | Important Information from Ben Beeton
CURRICULUM VITAE - Ben Beeton
Ben Beeton CV (70 KB)
Artist / Innovator
| Born | 1975 |
| benbeeton@live.com.au | |
| Web Sites | www.benbeeton.com.au |
| www.getabstractwallart.com |
EDUCATION
| 2002 | Honours in Visual Arts, Deakin University, Melbourne |
| 1997 | Bachelor of Visual Arts, Southern Cross University, Lismore |
| 1994 | Certificate in Visual Arts, Toowoomba Technical Collage |
POSITION - Primary artist of Art Australis Pty Ltd
Co-Founder of the Sublimity Cross-Media Project (SCMP) with artist William Boot. The objective of the SCMP is to generate cross media artworks (digital art/encaustic paint) that transcribe shared notions of the sublime.
Visit the Sublimity Cross-Media Project (SCMP) Here
Co-Founder of the Life Projects Collaborative (LPC) with artist John Howland. The objective of the LPC is to realize projects that transcribe the structures of evolution in space-time. Web page under construction.
Co-Creator of the Earths Deep Time Blanket with palaeontologist Dr John Long. Vice President, Research and Collections Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
RESIDENCIES
Artist in Residence Mission Statement: Create art works about the ecology, geology and deep time history of specific regions incorporating traditional and digital mediums.
| 2009 | Artist on tour project with Wrights Air. Wrights Air specialize in flights over Lake Eyre and The Painted Hills |
| 2009 | Residency at Sugarloaf Mountain Retreat - Youtube clip 01 - Youtube clip 02 |
| 2008 | Residency at the Boyce Gardens, Toowoomba's remnant rainforest - Youtube clip 01 |
| 2007 | Residency at Dunmoochin July – October - Youtube clip 01 |
| 2006 | Residency at Bundanon, October - November |
| 2006 | Residency at Hill End, July - August |
| 2006 | Residency at Fowlers Gap, April |
| 2006 | Residency at Broken Hill, March |
FUNDING
| 2009 | Residency at the Boyce Gardens, sponsorship through the University of Southern Queensland |
| 2008 | Residency at the Boyce Gardens, funding through the Regional Arts and Development Foundation |
| 2006 | Funding for the Hill End residency through NSW Department of Conservation and Environment |
| 2006 | Funding for Broken Hill and Fowlers Gap Residencies through the RADF, the Broken Hill City Council |
| 1997 | Recipient of funding from the William Fletcher Trust |
AWARDS & ACTIVITIES
| 2006 | Travelled Extensively through Europe with William Boot |
| 2006 | Finalist in Broken Hill Regional Gallery's Australian Outback prize |
| 2006 | Short listed for Conrad Jupiter's Casino Art Prize |
| 2005 | Winner of the abstract painting section of the Courier Mail art competition |
| 2005 | Finalist in Hills Grammar School art prize |
| 2005 | Finalist in Broken Hill Regional Gallery's Australian Outback prize |
| 2005 | Highly Commended Warwick Art Prize |
| 1998 | Awarded Cam Robertson prize to exhibit at Toowoomba Regional Gallery |
EXHIBITIONS
| 2009 | 'Gondwana in Toowoomba' Works from the Boyce Gardens Residency |
| 2008 | 'Botanicals' Botanical artworks in collaboration with Gillian Scott & Stephanie Kim |
| 2007 | 'Earthen Memories and Natural Systems' Project 2 Edwards Gallery – Brisbane. |
| 2006 | 'Earthen Memories', Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery |
| 2005 | The Mechanics and Selected Outcomes of Evolution, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery |
| 2004 | '590 Million Years on A Flat Surface' Smyrnios Galleries Australia, Melbourne |
| 2002 | 'A Year of Painting', Melbourne Arts Club Gallery |
| 2000 | 'Suppressed History, a further exploration', Melbourne Arts Club Gallery |
| 1998 | 'Suppressed History', Toowoomba City Gallery |
COLLECTIONS - Downlands Collage, Saint Saviours High School, Private collections
ARTIST STATEMENT Number 1.
The Landscape and Natural History of a Region in Art Form
It has struck me in my travels through Australia how little we as Australians know about our natural heritage, not to mention its natural history. My artistic practice draws its inspiration from an understanding of the natural environment and its evolutionary history. Through a fusion of photography, computer generated images drawing and painting I aim to produce artworks that hold a balance between a subjective and objective appraisal of the natural environment. I am fascinated by the ancient past and how it relates to the present environment. I believe that the myths that attach both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians to the land (in which the artist has played a strong role) can be informed on a deeper level through the work of contemporary practitioners who inform themselves about Australia's natural history in order to incorporate this information into their artworks. In conjunction with these ideas is the notion that all elements of landscape are comprised purely of ‘star dust’. By ‘star dust’ I mean elements that are neither born or die, but merely change form in endless recombination’s.
My Approach to Landscape Painting
From my experience the majority of the new hybrid art work that is generated through the integration of multimedia images and traditional mediums of painting and drawing has a sense of being uncomfortable in the union of these two very different mediums. I have seen many examples of artists responding in a very expressive and aggressive manner when applying paint over digital images or in turn dealing with the problem by applying paint in a way that mimics the nature of the digital image. What’s more the topics are generally not nature orientated. In 2000 I had a vision of creating multimedia art works that held the same aesthetic as my paintings. It has taken a number of years for me to become sophisticated in the use of the necessary software and refine a visual harmony between the two. Through this I create surfaces that for me hold a dialogue between a presence of the natural world in its current state and its evolving motions through time.
My landscape is in flux, it is a landscape of shifting surfaces. From my perspective the moment requires a strength and contrast that the passage of deep time does not normally convey when it is contemplated. With these aesthetic and spiritual sensibilities my practice has much in common with many ancient Chinese landscape artists. . Through a technique of broken washes, Zen artists “sought to express the underlying unity of all things” (Sullivan 1979). Yet I can see that they still appreciated the delicacy and intricacy of nature. By interweaving the intricate and the gestural I believe they achieved a balance of contrasts between the depiction of a landscape that is of the moment and, concurrently, in a state of becoming. As common methodology these artists embarked on a journey of contemplation through nature. Only when they had settled upon what they interpreted as nature’s mood did they return to the studio. I am interested in the aesthetic that may be derived from of adopting the natural environment as a collaborator.
Methodology
(1) Scientific Research Methods
The methods I use to assemble data are those conventionally associated with scientific inquiry. I use secondary sources, consultation with experts in the field, journals, books and museum material to deepen my understanding of the topic.
(2) Artistic Methods
My multi-media work incorporates digital photos of a region and its flora and fauna, journal work e.g. rubbings, sketches of the flora, fauna and landscapes, images of relevant fossils and maps. I scan my drawings onto the computer and incorporate them into my digital photos. I am investigating the possibility of using satellite images of relevant sites and through magnification the structure of found objects in my new work. I print my digital images onto canvas using an industrial ink jet printer and then paint into them.
METHODOLOGY
Scientific Research Methods
The methods I use to assemble data are those conventionally associated with scientific inquiry. I use secondary sources, consultation with experts in the field, journals, paleo-geological maps, books and museum material to deepen my understanding of any topic I am studying.
Artistic Methods
My multi-media work incorporates digital photos of a region and its flora and fauna, journal work e.g. rubbings, sketches of the flora, fauna and landscapes, images of relevant fossils and maps. I scan my drawings onto the computer and incorporate them into my digital photos. I am investigating the possibility of using satellite images of relevant sites and will combine this with my other sources to better understand and represent the structure of the life forms and landscapes in my new works.
I print my digital images onto canvas using archival printing techniques and then paint into them.
CURRENT AND FUTURE EVENTS
December 2009
This year I have done two artist residencies. One at Sugar Loaf Mountain Retreat and one with Wrights Air. Look out for new works from both of these residencies coming soon.
In 2010 I’m starting a new body of paintings which looks at natural systems. In these works I plan to integrate my work about life evolving as the living end of the tree of life in space-time with my interest in aesthetics developed by the ancient Chinese landscape artists and the romantic landscape artists of the 18th century.
I’ve made a lot of short films with horticulturalist Peter Macqueen which can be viewed on youtube. I’ll work further with Peter next year on future residencies.
Look out for my new website www.getabstractwallart.com. This site features other aesthetic explorations and collaborations. It also is the launch pad for the Life Project Collaborative. Ben Beeton and John Howland founded the Life Project Collaborative. In these works time is measured on the vertical axis. The artists having solved the inherent problem of visually describing the means by which all life is one in space-time look at life on Earth from a totally different angle. The founders are inspired by the idea that life as genetic code flows through space and time. Get digital abstract art about our bodies as the banks of rivers of DNA. Get digital abstract art about our bodies as inter-connected entities within the tree of life. In this world within the tree of life in space-time all life is one and all life is digital abstract art. Everything that is alive or has ever lived is part of an organic matrix that we cannot see, or taste or touch but the images we produce as digital abstract art can allow you to ponder your existence
Here are links to my YouTube films
Ben Beeton Artist Statements
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3m3v8qd7z0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYcabgJHRk8
Gondwana in Toowoomba
This is a documentary about an artist residency that I did with Gillian Scott at the Boyce Gardens. On this residency we were focusing on the remnant rainforest, its evolution and its supporting geology. To view art work from this residency go to; http://www.getabstractwallart.com/benbeeton/digital-fine-art/2008-boyce-gardens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xotjvLtbJIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpFhzKXmS4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOLwGQ1uD0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIck5UWE7OU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7mhuf9ftmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jae8rBpe-Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HbDsywR-Og
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHkhUExdhtk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHDCVAULoCU
Hampton Corridor of Trees
Hampton is a small area outside of Toowoomba. A small remnant of wood land which acts as a natural corridor for wildlife is under threat by Main Roads. These videos question the wisdom of this proposed destruction and high light what stands to be lost. We encourage all citizens of the Toowoomba region who do not want this destruction to take place to lobby the Mayor Peter Taylor and other prominent members of the Toowoomba City Council to stop the destruction.
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 1 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oOCQWQ0itU
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 2 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUaIr_-_7JM
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 3 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FVG7kSJnOg
Hampton Corridor of trees part 4 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkrTTxl2lvM
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 5 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSilZxNrR38
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 6 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeNYwnMsPG0
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 7 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-nTuVJIqY4
Hampton Corridor of Trees Part 8 with Peter Macqueen & Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5RYZfUPM_g
In the Suburban desert Toowoomba with Ben Beeton and Peter Macqueen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8x8_o_NaA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccx9iwVZaxY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoyfN5tVAVY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8X5tYUTaXA
Sugarloaf Mountain with Ben Beeton and Peter Macqueen
These films are from my artist residency at Sugarloaf Mountain Retreat. To view art work from this residency go to; http://www.getabstractwallart.com/benbeeton/digital-fine-art
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG3KAbD-BUo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtE38CVPIQc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFgF8gDo-yk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRvoJw5SR78
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ne_8nvZQuQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVZrCgKZvPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yARFXojmraw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hcFKj4Xvq0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EbbDRz2LxY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrIJAFDYD1g
Peter Macqueen IDs plants at the Helidon Hills film by Ben Beeton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ybuxK6sGHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOl1hsM7i08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL4d5tEWhoY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr5ql-Y2dew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioroo9HMi-s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDZ_y8FgBRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwQbbDljelA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_cECB7cJ8A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYvSvw4Bgmc
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM BEN BEETON
At the front of my web site I have pointed out that I do original one-off paintings and digital art based on the studies I use in understanding a particular project. This creates photos, drawings and digital studies. As I work I often combine these media into digital images.
My digital works are the foundation images I create when trying to understand an artistic problem. When I create a painting I may use the spatial arrangement and image outlines to form a basis for the painting.
When I do this I do not offer the digital image that is the foundation for the painting for sale.
Consequently I have two forms of art.
My paintings are offered through galleries as single works or works in a series. They are original and unique. The base image will never appear for sale as digital art. All paintings are signed, dated and numbered.
With my digital art I select the best remaining images and offer them in limited editions of 50. I keep a record of sales and when all are sold no more are produced. All digital works are stamped and numbered.
Sometimes a person will choose to purchase an image exclusively for their enjoyment. If we arrange to do this the image edition is terminated and no more are ever offered for sale. This termination is placed in my records and on my web site.
