This Friday’s featured artist is Ben Hecht and his Machina Obscura series.
I love the depth and complexity of these!
I love the depth and complexity of these!
machina obscura: Tempus, 90" x 67"
Ben Hecht explains:
machina obscura, or "hidden machine" is a mixed media series blending original photography of the ocean, rocks, ancient walls, cracks along the ground and all sorts of tiny oddities with maps, charts, and ephemera from long ago. Gears, cogs, and clockwork echo the movements of planets and celestial bodies. Macrocosmic and microcosmic elements come together in a single composition. Each artwork is composed with layers and layers of encaustic which is then incised and pressed with additional designs from custom made stamps.
machina obscura, or "hidden machine" is a mixed media series blending original photography of the ocean, rocks, ancient walls, cracks along the ground and all sorts of tiny oddities with maps, charts, and ephemera from long ago. Gears, cogs, and clockwork echo the movements of planets and celestial bodies. Macrocosmic and microcosmic elements come together in a single composition. Each artwork is composed with layers and layers of encaustic which is then incised and pressed with additional designs from custom made stamps.
machina obscura: Tempus (detail)
machina obscura: Luna 72" x 43"
machina obscura: Luna (detail)
Ben Hecht's video below is both stunning and brilliant. I’d encourage you to take the twelve-and-a-half minutes to watch it. He discusses the process for creating the his work, demonstrating techniques: scraffito, fusing wax, embedding old clocks and gears, applying shellac burns to the surface and more!
I guarantee, you’ve never seen map art like this before!
I guarantee, you’ve never seen map art like this before!
See all of Ben Hecht's astonishing work on his website here!
TGIF!
Mary^
TGIF!
Mary^
