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beinArt Publishing is very excited to announce the release of Chet Zar‘s long-awaited art book, “Black Magick: The Art of Chet Zar” which is now available for purchase online via our distributor, Last Gasp.
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I am sure many of you are already familiar with the name Naoto Hattori, a rising star from Japan responsible for a phenominal amount of Subversive Psychedelic Lowbrow Art. I couldn't throw enough adjectives at this mans giant body of deranged works. Naoto's cute Rydenesk characters creep closer to the macabre than many of his contemporaries (in the pop surrealist movement) and are packed with more drug references than you could poke a joint at. I would like to probe deeper into the mind of Naoto at some stage and may come back with an interview. For now, i must go to bed. Tis late.
Naoto is having a solo show of new works from June 1st – July 1st at the Lineage Gallery – 21 N. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA USA
Naoto is one of 50 artists published in our first book: Metamorphosis
I discovered Chris Mars's work a few years ago in an issue of Juxtapoz. After sharing one moment with Mars's Demented world of circus freaks & demonic psychedelia I was hooked. This mans imagination is responsible for more delightful terror than George Bush could hope to find in the whole Middle East! (mind my cheese) I can not even begin to explain what this kind of imagery does to my brain.
Its like Hieronymus Bosch met Mark Ryden in the dark corner of Joe Coleman's Odditorium and decided to free the Madness from all Assylums in one shot! Let Madness roam free and try to fit its whole body into one canvas with the company of HR Giger himself. Aside from all of the insanity and delicious darkness (which I'm sure you can see thrills me to no end), Chris Mars's Techinical ability with oils makes me want to jump in front of a truck and squawk Freedom!
Seriously, I am obviously a huge fan and getting a little overwhelmed right now as I navigate through his bottomless treasure trove. Have a look for yourselves: Chris Mars's Website
Right Above: VM-5: THE POOR STEWARD, oil on panel, 16×20, 2005
Right Below: THE ANTIDOTE STAND, oil on panel, 24×36, 2005
Karl Persson (27) is one of the most skilled artists I know. Whether you find his images beautiful, disturbing or grotesque, Karl's strikingly realistic oil paintings have always demanded more attention than a quick glance. I have known Karl since 2003 when I lived with him in a huge chaotic warehouse. Out of all of the occupants, I instantly clicked with Karl and we have been close friends ever since (even though we have challenged, annoyed and even angered each other at times…. But that's friendship). I have enjoyed watching Karl's skill as a painter grow over the years and have especially enjoyed watching people react to his work. Even those who hate Karl's work have found it impossible to deny that he is a brilliant painter (verging on genius).
Karl was one of the first featured artists on our old site 'Underground Australian art Collective' (founded in 2003), and over the years I have received countless email inquiries and feedback regarding his paintings (more so than my own art… Sob, sob).
I am happy to announce that Karl Persson has just launched his own website, showcasing his portfolio for the world to behold. Prints, posters and originals will be available from Karl's site in the near future as will news regarding future exhibitions, etc. (i'll also be posting news about Karl's upcoming exhibitions here, on our own art news blog so stay tuned).
Karl was also published in Metamorphosis
Philippe Guillerm's curvaceous violin sculptures are certainly a sight to behold. Their expressive poses give these well crafted string instruments much life as though each sculpture has its own personality. I imagine they would make a great subject for an animation. One could leap from a violinists arms and land gracefully to perform interpretive dance movements to the sound of moody classical music. But before I follow this tangent to its tragically corny end, I'd like to say that I am very impressed with Philippe's work, only I would like to see them photographed in a more creative setting with dramatic lighting.
Here is a short excerpt I found on Phiippe's website:
Guillerm's music-inspired sculptures are whimsical and curvaceous string instruments, he uses the theme as a way of expressing human nature and needs, you see an instrument, he sees an attitude.
I'm sure many of you have stumbled upon 'The Tale of How' on your cyber travels since it spread like a virus over popular blogs, forums and social networking sites. The stunning psychedelic animation was created by a passionate group who call themselves The Black Heart Gang. Each member of this close group of friends contributed their own unique talent and skill to form the perfect collaborative dynamic. Tale of How was produced over a period of nine months in the collaborators spare time with no budget!!
I first saw this Animation when the illustrator of the group 'Ree Treweek' registered on our own Surreal Art Forum and introduced the project to our forum members. Although the story, style and aesthetic of The Tale of How is very unique, I would personally describe the experience as a Tim Burton, Danny Elfman & Doctor Seuss combo on a large dose of LSD (and I draw this comparison with great appreciation and respect).
Visit the official Black Heart Gang website for a high resoution version of The Tale of How.
Here is an excerpt of Ree's post on our forum:
'The Blackheart Gang is a collective of friends with a passion for creating stories. The idea for The Tale of How was to create something original, inspiational, beautiful and sincere. The story is the second part of a three part story, developed by Ree Treweek and Markus Smit. Markus wrote the story and the music. Ree developed the characters, and drew all the elements for the world. Jannes Hendrikz composited, sylised and directed the animation process & Justin Baker was head 3d animator and modeller.'
My friend Delvin Solkinson of Elvism was kind enough to send me a copy of Alex Grey's CoSM: Journal of Visionary Culture volume 4 which was dedicated to Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday, the Swiss chemist who discovered LSD 50 years ago. Delvin had published a very interesting article titled 'Entheo Art: Mystical Offering and Spiritual Forum', in the journal and wanted to share it with me. I had heard of Alex Grey's Visionary Art journal before, but had never actually seen it and enjoyed many articles within, especially the article (written by Grey) describing the meaning behind his painting of Hofmann. I was very pleased to see that some of our featured Visionary Artists (on beinArt.org) had been published in CoSM as well including Maura Holden, Naoto Hattori, Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann & Alex Grey himself (who were also published in our first Art Book: Metamorphosis). Allyson Grey, Luke Brown, Guy Atchinson, Michele Wortman, Eli Morgan, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Erial & Carey Thompson were also featured in the CoSM Journal.
Here is an excerpt from the journal written by Alex Grey on his portrait of Albert Hofmann 'St. Albert and The LSD Revelation Revolution' (shown in this article):
'In my portrait of Dr. Hofmann, the eye of transcendental spirit in the upper left hand corner of the painting releases spiralic streams of primordial rainbow spheres of potential, one of which becomes a compassionate alchemical angel, whose tears drip down to anoint or 'create' the LSD molecule that the doctor holds in his hands, and a demon, here identified with Nazi power tugs or pushes at it. LSD opens a visionary gateway to the heart, as shown by the spiral of fractally infinitizing eyes resembling the stripey eye-spheres of the molecule, swirling into the center of the chest. On St. Albert's shoulder blade is a portrait of Paracelsus, the Alchemist of Basel, 500 years ago, who is credited with founding modern Chemistry, yet his alchemical goal was to discover the Philosopher's Stone. Alchemy was the art and science of the transmutation of the elements, like turning lead into gold and the identification of the soul of the alchemist with the chemical transformations as a metaphor of their journey ti enlightenment. Modern Chemistry took the psyche and mystery out of the material weighed and measured world, reducing the world to a heap of atoms. LSD brought psyche back, front and center to the chemical material world. That is partly why I believe that LSD is the Philosopher's Stone, the discovery of which, also in the town of Basel, is the result of an alchemical process put in motion by the great Paracelsus. In the portrait, I painted a lot of LSD personalities and symbolism in the aura of Dr. Hofmann. Some of these people were Dr Hofmann's friends, like Aldous Huxley, Gordon Wasson, Maria Sabina and Richard Evans Schultes. Each of these people had a special connection to psychedelics. Huxley wrote fearlessly about the psychedelic experience in The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, which also talks about Visionary states and works of art.'
I am also happy to announce that I received an order from The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors for 10 copies of Metamorphosis Art Book for their gift shop (what an honor). Thank you Alex and Allyson.
Sally Cruikshank has made many bizarre animated films, all of them involving colorful surreal environments and characters. Much of her imaginative and dreamlike style is the result of Max Fleischer's influence in her work. Fans of Twilight Zone might remember the weird animated Hell sequence she did for the 80's film version of the series. She also made a strange music video for Oingo Boingo.
Click the following titles to view some of Cruikshank's other animated worlds.
Quasi At The Quackadero
Face Like A Frog
Make Me Psychic
You can view a selection of Sally Cruikshank's colorful paintings in this photoset on Flickr. To see more works by Sally visit her website "Fun On Mars" where she has a blog, artwork for sale and additional animations on view.
I recently received a few copies of INSIDE ArtZine #11 in the mail. INSIDE ArtZine (founded in 1990) is a glossy Underground & Lowbrow Art magazine from Germany which has featured artists on beinArt.org along with many exceptional artists previously unknown to me. Over all I was very impressed with the quality content and creative layout of this dark and gruesome journal. I was also proud to have introduced Jenzzz to the work of Karl Persson (a close friend of mine) and license Karl's work to be published in Issue 11 (with Karl's permission of course) as well as contributing a photo of one of my own Toddlerpedes for the "Are you still playing with dolls?!" double page spread.
Here is a blurb supplied by Jenzzz, the publisher of the German magazine (and promotional sponsor of Metamorphosis):
Graphical fevervisions from the depth of the creative sewer: The art of the real underground! Paintings, drawings, collages, photos, sculptures, stories, poems, denunciation, lies and other effronteries. A4, 40 pages, full colour, quality paper, english, 4 EURO / $5.40 USD. Order from the INSIDE Artzine website.
INSIDE artzine #11 – This time with MAXIMUM ARTSCUM from Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Brasilia, USA, Japan and Australia: Naoto Hattori (JAP), J.K. Potter (USA), Jan Off (GER), Marcel Ruijters (NL), Microbo (ITA), Karl Persson (AUS), Mike Bohatch (USA), Fabrice Lavolley (BEL), Urs Böke (GER) & many others….
"Are you still playing with dolls?!" – Dolls & Sculptures of the damned, Interview with Michael Hutter, "Ink means eternity" – The tattoomummies from Riberalta, ancient oddities & Reviews. May it hound your dreams….
