Ben DiNino
Ben DiNino is a book and collage artist who has lived in Minnesota for the last decade. He graduated from Tyler School of Art in 1996 with a BFA in Sculpture and a minor in Art History. At the time he was extremely jaded about the art world and didn’t pursue showing his work professionally. Over the next 20 years he continued to make art, trading with other artists, donating work for fundraisers, and generally giving it away. After attending the first Kolaj Fest in New Orleans in 2018 he decided to again become serious about his art practice. Since that time he has been in over 90 exhibitions internationally, has had work featured in a number of print and online publications, has posted a new work everyday on Instagram, and was awarded a public art grant by the city of Minneapolis. He lives in South Minneapolis with his partner and their two children.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
In my work I strive to shed light on the overlooked or discarded; those items or places that are forgotten or slightly out of focus in the background. By highlighting their existence or reconfiguring them into something unique I hope to breathe new life into these neglected images and objects. The majority of my artistic practice recently has centered on collage. I endeavor to prolong the life of these outdated how-to manuals, old magazines, snap shots, slide film, and any other materials I‘m able to cut up and reassemble. This is also a challenge since I force myself to create something visually interesting or confusing out of what can at times be banal source material. This is what truly excites me when I work. Sitting down with old liquor advertisements or an interior design magazine and experimenting with the photographs in an attempt to push the limitations of the imagery.
Ben DiNino is a book and collage artist who has lived in Minnesota for the last decade. He graduated from Tyler School of Art in 1996 with a BFA in Sculpture and a minor in Art History. At the time he was extremely jaded about the art world and didn’t pursue showing his work professionally. Over the next 20 years he continued to make art, trading with other artists, donating work for fundraisers, and generally giving it away. After attending the first Kolaj Fest in New Orleans in 2018 he decided to again become serious about his art practice. Since that time he has been in over 90 exhibitions internationally, has had work featured in a number of print and online publications, has posted a new work everyday on Instagram, and was awarded a public art grant by the city of Minneapolis. He lives in South Minneapolis with his partner and their two children.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
In my work I strive to shed light on the overlooked or discarded; those items or places that are forgotten or slightly out of focus in the background. By highlighting their existence or reconfiguring them into something unique I hope to breathe new life into these neglected images and objects. The majority of my artistic practice recently has centered on collage. I endeavor to prolong the life of these outdated how-to manuals, old magazines, snap shots, slide film, and any other materials I‘m able to cut up and reassemble. This is also a challenge since I force myself to create something visually interesting or confusing out of what can at times be banal source material. This is what truly excites me when I work. Sitting down with old liquor advertisements or an interior design magazine and experimenting with the photographs in an attempt to push the limitations of the imagery.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
13.75x16.25x1"
This collage is from a series using vintage 1960s-70s liquor advertisements as the source imagery. I cut them up and rearrange the pieces to create abstract compositions. I enjoy playing with the various reflections, shadows, and tones of the glass, to reconstruct a visually alluring configuration.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
13x14x1"
This collage is from a series using vintage 1960s-70s liquor advertisements as the source imagery. I cut them up and rearrange the pieces to create abstract compositions. I enjoy playing with the various reflections, shadows, and tones of the glass, to reconstruct a visually alluring configuration.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
13x17x1"
This collage is from a series using vintage 1960s-70s liquor advertisements as the source imagery. I cut them up and rearrange the pieces to create abstract compositions. I enjoy playing with the various reflections, shadows, and tones of the glass, to reconstruct a visually alluring configuration.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
9.50x11.50x1"
This piece is from a series of collages which were created using only vintage 1960s and 70s advertisements for The Austin Company, a group focusing on warehouse and manufacturing design and construction. I enjoyed creating intricate, confusing, imaginary architectural constructions from the deconstructed buildings.
$280.00
Hand cut paper collage.
13x15x1"
This hand cut collage used the "Tea Collection" clothing catalog as its source material. I removed all the models and clothing and reconfigured the background spaces into an abstract composition. I enjoy focusing on parts that are to be visually overlooked and highlighting them in a new way.