Negative Spaces by Ben DiNino
All of these collages were created in the last few months and each is part of a different series I’ve been working on. Some series are specific to a type of source imagery. For example, my “Corporeal Folds” pieces are all biomorphic transformations which use black and white nude photographs as source material. Another group of work is entitled “Non Commercial Space”, which is what “Tea Collection Summer 2021 #3" falls into. This series involves abstract pieces constructed using the background spaces from mail order catalogs after the products and models have been removed.
In all of these works, I’ve attempted to take the visually neglected, the overlooked, the negative spaces around an object that you aren’t supposed to notice, to highlight them in confusing or interesting ways. This challenge and experimentation is what excites me to work in the medium of collage.
Ben DiNino is a collage and book artist who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a founding member of the Twin Cities Collage Collection. His recent work has focused mainly on abstract collages using the backgrounds, out of focus negative spaces, and parts of advertisements which are intended to be overlooked. Using these visually neglected images as source material, DiNino reassembles these disparate pieces into confusing and nonlogical compositions. He enjoys seeing how far he can push the medium of collage with only paper, scissors, and adhesives.
Instagram: @biblioexcavations