Earlier Paintings by Benini
GEOMETRIC PAINTINGS
Benini’s move to Hot Springs, Arkansas in the late 80’s added a new dimension to his work. What had started in the mid-80s as a simple exploration into the world of painterly illusion using simple geometric formulas rendered in bright primary colors, evolved into compositions of various elements, a kind of space-age still lifes. It was Benini’s response to the lushness of nature in the hills of Arkansas, so similar to his native environment in Imola, Italy. Paintings of this period reached their apogee in the “target series” in which Benini’s use of intense colors next to each other in a timeless pattern of concentric circles forces the viewer’s brain to unexpected choices and darkened after-images.
PAINTINGS OF ROSES
The rose became the predominant symbol of Benini's work from the early 70's. His memories of his grandmother's garden in Italy where roses were often the size of dinner plates left a strong impression in his early years. As an artist, he chose the symbol to explore the power of line and color, shape and design. The rose was featured in his symbolic and surrealistic periods through the years. Benini freed the ever-evolving rose from traditional square-cornered canvases. With the shape of the petals dictating the contour of the painting, he then mounted the canvas to "float" freestyle.
SURREALISTIC & SYMBOLIC
Information forthcoming.
THE 60's
Information forthcoming.
Click images to view artwork series.