New Website Live

New website is Live.

Please visit www.bvierling.com to view all updates regarding the publication and exhibition of Benjamin A. Vierling's works.

No further updates will be posted on this Blog.

Memento Mori at Loved to Death group show.

Memento Mori. Egg tempera & oil on canvas.

Memento Mori and two other original Vierling works are on display through October at the Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, as part of the Loved to Death group show. The exhibition is co-curated by Audra Kunkle, owner of San Francisco’s renowned Loved to Death boutique.

Loved To Death is a local treasure and was featured on the Science Channel's television show, Oddities San Francisco . Loved To Death started out as an art endeavor for Kunkle, making Victorian-themed anthropomorphic taxidermy dioramas and jewelry, and now specializes in odd antiquities and Victoriana.

The Shows runs from October 6 - 28th, at the Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco. For those unable to attend in person, there is an online catalog of the exhibition.

Scopolia. Ink & gouache illustration, appears in The Green Mysteries.

Medusa in Witch-Ikon

Vierling's egg tempera & oil on panel painting, Medusa, is featured in the forthcoming Witch-Ikon, Witchcraft in Art and Artifact, published by Three Hands Press.

The book includes writings by Michael Bertiaux, Daniel A. Schulke, Madeleine LeDespencer, and others. The tome additionally showcases art and imagery throughout the ages, as well as works from contemporary artists: Andrew D. Chumbley, Tom Allen, Madeline von Foerster, Timo Ketola, and more.

The figure of the Witch has haunted the margins of religion and spirituality for thousands of years, as a figure of transgressive spiritual power, outlaw magic, and alluring sexuality. Equally pervasive is her presence in art, from ancient depictions in the near east, through the European Middle Ages, down to her present representations in occult subculture. WITCH-IKON gathers a vast selection of images of witches and their diabolical magic, emphasizing the range of artistic depictions that have helped coalesce this most powerful of modern supernatural icons.

An exhibition of select images from the book will take place at Mortlake & Company in Seattle. The original Medusa painting will be displayed. Interested collectors please contact: William Kiesel at Ouroboros Press. The show opens Thursday, October 5, and runs through October 31. A print catalog of the show is available for purchase.

Arcana Viridia Print Portfolio

Announcing a limited edition offering of Vierling letterpress art print prints, featuring images from the forthcoming Green Mysteries, by Daniel A. Schulke, published by Three Hands Press.  

The Arcana Viridia Art Portfolio features seven separate plant images, printed on heavy art paper of seven different color. Each print is 8" x 10", signed and numbered by the artist, suitable for framing, hand bound in a black cloth portfolio binding, with green interior papers and gilt stamping. The portfolio is limited to 100 copies only.

Available via Three Hands Press .:. 

The Vision of Hubertus

A new painting, The Vision of Hubertus, will be on display through August at Krab Jab Studio, as part of the Im'ago Priomordials visionary artists exhibition, curated by Don Farrel. The show features a diverse array of international artists, including: HR Giger, Ernst Fuchs, Brigid Marlin, Steven Kenny, Liba W. Stambollion, Susannah Martin, Otto Rap, Yvette Endrijautzki, and many other remarkable artists.

The Vision of Hubertus

12 x 24 inches

Egg tempera & oil on panel

2016

***

The medieval legend of Sankt Hubertus tells of a widowed nobleman who retreats to live a life of hunting in solitude. One fateful day finds Hubertus in the pursuit of an enormous Hirsch, which suddenly turns in confrontation, a blinding light between it's antlers inspiring a vision wherein the language of the beasts can be understood. Through this otherworldly discourse, Hubertus is initiated on a spiritual path which ultimately leads to the esteemed veneration of all animals.  

Using the renaissance era misch technique that utilizes egg tempera & oil pigments, Vierling captures the moment of visionary transference as beheld by Hubertus. The bellowing stag turns to confront the viewer, the blinding fires arresting the pursuit in luminous contrast. A very limited palette of earth tones, ochres and cobalt hues places the vision in the earthly darkness of the primordial forest. Perched on the antlers of the beast glitters the delicate form of a kingfisher, known amongst the ancient Greeks as Halcyon, a portent of prosperity and beloved of the Nymphs, guardians of the nature's waters. This small bejeweled hunter here denotes the discourse between Man and Beast, birds being the emissaries of language in legends throughout time.  

Behold, and listen. 

***

Opening reception: Saturday, June 9th, 6 - 9 pm at Krab Jab Studio, 5628 Airport Way South, Seattle, WA. 

For more information, please visit Krab Jab Studio

California Condor in the Dreams & Divinities Group Show.

'Gymnogyps californianus', The California Condor, has flown to Paris to be exhibited in the Dreams & Divinities group show. Opens March 22. Atelier Gustave. Paris, France.

The show is produced by Brigid Marlin's 'Art of Imagination' group, features 55 international artists including Otto Rapp, Robert Venosa, & Alex Grey, and is being curated by Liba Waring Stambollion. The exhibition will continue on to Dresden, Germany, later in the Spring.

The opening will take place on March 22nd at 19:00 at l’Atelier Gustave, 36 rue Boissonade – 75014 Paris.

For more information please visit the Dreams & Divinities website. 

Spectral Lore artwork at Krab Jab Studio

The original artwork for Spectral Lore II is on display and available at Krab Jab Studio in Seattle.

Rendered in graphite, ink, and polymer pigments on panel, the work is beautifully framed in a 22" x 22" format.

Depicting passage through the sinister woods of initiation, the image follows the pilgrim who is guided through the tangled thorns and treacherous pathways by a crimson bird; a psychopomp who provides luminous insights and protection along the way. Lurking in the shadowy depths of the wood can be seen the gnarled limbs of those who have come before and failed to persevere, their forlorn gestures reaching up to form a cathedral vault of knotted boughs. The solitary wanderer stands at the threshold, silhouetted against the distant light, his long shadow already behind him. The darkest hour has been conquered, the next phase of the journey beckons.

The image appears on the album cover of Spectral Lore II, released by ToT Records in Sweden. As is exemplary with Vierling's collaborations, the rich symbolism in the image correlates with the lyrical themes explored in the music.

Interested collectors please contact Krab Jab Studio. 

Microcosmus Melothesia

Zodiacal Man Poster Repressing.

Microcosmus Melothesia is a fine art poster produced from an original Benjamin Vierling ink illustration. This is the second print run, the initial Ouroborus Press edition of 72 unsigned copies having long since sold out. Repressed in an edition of 100 by Monolith Press in Alameda, the print measures 18 X 24 inches, and is screen printed in three colors on Classic Crest Cream 100 pound paper. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist. 


'The Homo Signorum, or Man of Signs, is a curious figure which appears in medieval astrological manuscripts.  Known as the Melothesic Man or Moon’s Man in astrological medicine, it shows the signs of the zodiac on the specific parts of the body over which tradition has given them rulership. The Vierling melothesia demonstrates the hermetic ‘as above, so below’ motif, wherein the microcosm has correspondence with the macrocosm. The emblem further reflects this with the serpent biting its tail, bringing to mind the ouroboros in the Codex Marcianus, which is accompanied by the Greek phrase EN TO PAN, or ALL in ALL'. William Kiesel.

Special thanks to William Kiesel of Ouroboros Press in Seattle, Monolith Press in Alameda, and Kitkitdizzi in Nevada City for assistance with the production of this very limited edition of prints.

The Print can be ordered directly from Ouroboros Press.

It can also be purchased at Kitkitdizzi in Nevada City. 

Interview and aviailable works at Krab Jab Studio

Recent Vierling interview at Krab Jab Studio in Seattle. Artistic methods, inspiration, and future projects are discussed in this dynamic conversation facilitated by Julie Baroh.

Krab Jab Studio is currently showcasing a number of original vierling works, including Papaver Somniferum, Gemini, and The Riddle of Sphinx. Interested collectors please contact Krab Jab Studio. 

Papaver Somniferum

Gemini

The Riddle of the Sphinx

Joanna Newsom Portrait enters permenant collection

The Portrait of Joanna Newsom was publicly displayed at the Gage Academy in Seattle for Vierling's 2014 Decennary Retrospective exhibition, and again through the 2015 New Year at Kitkitdizzi in Nevada City, before it's inclusion in the permanent collection of Andy Samberg and Joanna Newsom.

The painting was used to adorn the cover of Joanna Newsom's critically acclaimed studio album, Ys, released by Drag City in 2006. In recent years, the album has been featured on several music publications' lists of the greatest albums of the 2000s (decade) as well as all-time.

The portrait was composed directly from life, and required a year of studio labor to bring to completion. Incorporating symbols and allegories relevant to the lyrical content of the album, the painting presents a uniquely contemporary subject in a timelessly mythical context. Newsom is depicted as she actually appeared in Vierling's atelier, the inclusion of various props and enchanted objects being the result of an inspired collaboration between the artist and the model.

Rendered in egg tempera and oil pigments on panel, the work was created through use of technique dating back to the early renaissance, in which meticulously applied glazes are applied to a monochrome tempera underpainting, a method used by Hans Holbein, Albrecht Dürer, and Leonardo da Vinci. Many of the paints were mixed by hand using only the highest quality materials, which begins with a single egg.

The portrait has been hailed as a masterwork of contemporary painting, and has been featured in Marie Claire Magazine, Arthur Magazine, The New Yorker, and several printed publication, including Contemporary Album Design, and Beyond & Before: Progressive Rock since the 1960s. The painting will also feature in an academic work about Moths, to be published later this year by Chicago University Press.

Author Erik Davis, journalist and author of 'Techgnosis' said about the painting in his Arthur Magazine article "A great Album requires a great cover, and Benjamin Vierling’s painting—which looks like a Dürer by way of Millais, but more pop-surrealist—is pretty great. Luminescent, esoteric, and vividly detailed, it mirrors Newsom’s moodier new material Like the music on Ys. …..  Vierling’s rendering brings together an expressive, spiritual exuberance with an almost clinical execution of detail and technique."

Woman with Beast featured on Tyr Journal

Image appears on the cover of the current Tyr Journal, a cultural periodical which previously featured artwork by the legendary painter, Odd Nerdrum.  Design layout by the renown artist Stephen O'Malley.

The journal also includes a brief article about Benjamin A. Vierling by author Joshua Buckley. 

Woman with Beast
Egg tempera & oil on panel
18 x 24 inches

Of Beauties & Beasts International group show.

Two original Vierling works on display in the 'Of Beauties & Beasts' international group show, at the Clement Art Gallery in Troy, New York.

Included in the exhibit is The Valkyrie, an egg tempera & oil painting on panel, measuring 24 x 34 inches. The work was originally displayed in the 2011 Vierling, 'Mythos' exhibit at the Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle, Washington. The painting extols the timeless legend of the fearless warrior maidens who guide the fallen on the long journey from the battlefield to Valhöll.

Also included in the show is a unique portrait drawing of Gymnogyps californianus, the California Condor. The drawing is executed in pen, ink & gouache on paper.  The framed piece measures 16.5 x 21 inches. The endangered Condor is here exalted through the aesthetic of arcane portraiture,  to be remembered, honored, & protected.

Both works are offered for sale. 

On July 25, 2014 The Clement Art Gallery will open a group exhibition of thirteen national and international artists entitled: “of Beauties and Beasts". An opening reception will take place on Friday July 25 from 6-9pm. The exhibition will run through September 20. A small exhibition catalogue will be produced and available at the end of August.

The show comprises approximately 30 paintings and sculptures from a contingent of representational artists whose subjects tend toward the uncanny and fantastic. In "of Beauties and Beasts," the human form -- idealized and bestial -- appears alongside myriad fellows of the animal kingdom in scenes bizarre and whimsical. 

Exhibiting Artists Include: Claus Brusen, Jon Christopher Gernon, Russell Gordon, Igor Grechanyk, Caitlin Hackett, Spring Hofeldt, Steven Kenny, Richard A. Kirk, Jennifer Knaus, Scherer & Ouporov, Benjamin Vierling, Jeff Wigman, Rodney Wood. 

For additional information, please visit the online presentation and the Clement Art Gallery.

Notable Press on the exhibit:
Fine Art Connoisseur
Wall Street International

Gemini in Constellation Group Show

Unveiling Gemini, an ink and gouache rendering on toned paper.

The original will be displayed in the Constellation group show, curated by Yvette Endrijautzki. The Opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 13, at the True Love Gallery in Seattle. 

Vierling's Gemini image explores the hallmarks of the third zodiacal sign with meticulously crafted symbolic nuance.

"The Jester holds the dualistic personae of comedy and tragedy in his wry hands. Under the idiot's crested cowl is the glittering cosmic face of the infinite; the inquisitive mind that is the signature attribute of Gemini. Alternating masks invert established paradigms in order to discover oblique truths, embodying the maxim, Nichts ist wahr, Alles ist erlaubt. On the Jester's motley shoulder perches a bi-toned Magpie, trickster and collector of mischief par excellence.

An ornate strap-work frame orbits the central subject, exploring Gemini's many faces through myth and iconography. In each corner, a spherical device provides a vehicle for measuring the empirical. The miniature scene at the zenith illustrates Gemini's heraldic twins, Romulus and Remus.To the left is an enshrined Caduceus. To the right is the book of words, a locked vessel flanked by opposing cherubim who silently proclaim, as above so below.

At the nadir, the theater of strategy recedes into the architectural edifice on a playing field of black & white checkered tiles. The black Knight has conquered the adversity in his path, threatening the white King with checkmate. Unseen players may yet determine the fate of this deadly game. Expect the unexpected. Gemini's dance with destiny can change tunes with the flip of a coin."

At the True Love Art Gallery in March.
Opening Thursday the 13th, 5 PM to Midnight.

and at the Fulcrum Gallery for the month of April. 
Opening Friday the 11th, 6 to 10 PM

Embers & Revelations painting at Modern Eden Gallery

The original Embers & Revelations painting will appear in The Grotesque: International Art Exhibition, at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco.

 Modern Eden Gallery is pleased to announce The Grotesque, a group exhibition in the style of grotesques in which natural forms and monstrous figures are intertwined in bizarre or fanciful combinations.  The grotesque has a long legacy in the chronicles of art history. The philosophical ideas of Plato and Plotinus on horror versus beauty in the classical era inspired a resurgence in grotesque drawing and painting during the Renaissance.

Directly influenced by Dante’s Inferno and his particular vision of hell, many artists began considering the verso of surface level beauty. By measuring the depths of ugliness and horror through painting, artists of all ages like Leonardo da Vinci, Gustave Dore, Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, Edvard Munch, Otto Dix and more have discovered that the strength of the grotesque art form lies in it’s ability to measure beauty.  (Modern Eden press release)

The Embers & Revelations artwork originally featured on an album cover for the canadian band, Weapon, for their 2012 release on Relapse Records.

In the background is the ‘Kalachakra’. Fate's wheel. Ever revolving, ever turning, and in the process, succumbing to entropy and decay. The apex predators flank the Kalachakra as guardians, adversaries, and heraldic totems. The horned schädel may be regarded as an evocation, a trophy, and a memorial all at once. It indicates the rudimentary structure of man as both beast and conscious vessel, the red eye of extraordinary perception being emblazoned on the Ajna chakra – seeing beyond seeing. The crown is an allusion to the song, ‘Shahenshah’ – the King of all Kings. The snakes insinuate divine gnosis through venomous initiation. Their tenacious coils evoke the grip of Noghogg, the serpent from nordic myth who gnaws as the foundation of the world. (Vierling. HH interview)

 Interested collectors please contact the Modern Eden Gallery.

The opening reception will be held at Modern Eden Gallery on Saturday, March 8th from 6-10pm. Select featured group show artists will be in attendance at the reception. The exhibition will be on display through March 22, 2014 and is free and open to the public.  

Modern Eden Gallery
403 Francisco Street @ Powell Street | San Francisco, CA
Regular Gallery Hours: 10am - 6pm Tuesday - Saturday

PAX art print available via Samaritan Press

PAX is a fine art, 2 color, silkscreened print measuring 18 x 24 inches, available in an edition of 50 on Natural White, and an edition of 50 on Epic Black.  Screened at the renowned Monolith Press in Alameda, California, on Classic Crest 100 lb paper. All prints are signed and numbered by the artist. Available via mail order to all national and international destinations via Samaritan Press.

Inspired by the complex patterns of birds in flight, the starburst of doves evokes both radiance and harmony. PAX. Peace under sovereignty, A herald for the winter solstice, when the longest night kindles the divine spark of potential to come.

~

The image was originally created as an alum cover for the German band, Fyrnask, as the cover of their recent Eldir Nótt release. The album art was nominated for the Best Art Vinyl 2013 prize in the United Kingdom, and selected amongst Redefine Magazine's best album covers of the year.

~

Vierling Decennary Retrospective Exhibit

Portrait of Joanna Newsom. 2006. Egg tempera & oil on panel.

Announcing a Benjamin A. Vierling solo exhibition. 

'A Decennary Retrospective' showcases previously unexhibited works, select paintings on loan from private collections, preliminary drawings, and various illustrations, to provide a unique view of Vierling's diverse oeuvre from the past 10 years.

Included in the show is the Portrait of Joanna Newsom, which will be publicly displayed for the first time. The painting of Newsom was featured on the cover of her critically acclaimed album, Ys. Utilizing painting techniques found in traditional renaissance portraiture, the composition synthesizes mythology, symbolism, and folklore with a uniquely contemporary subject. 
 

The Opening reception for the show takes place on Friday, January 17, 2014, from 6pm-8pm in the Steele Gallery, at the Gage Academy of Art, Seattle. Vierling discusses his techniques, influences and working processes in a concurrent lecture, The Synthesis of Conflicting Forces, at 7pm in the Geo studio. 

Vierling Exhibition: January 17 - February 14, 2014.  

Steele Gallery

Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Daily.

Gage Academy of Art
1501 10th Ave. East, #101
Seattle, WA 98102

Select works are available for purchase. Interested collectors please contact the Steele Gallery at Gage.

"What makes the act of painting so profound is the actual process of seeing and rendering; the bridge from eye to hand. It’s an endeavor that literally evokes an inchoate vision and gives it a physical presence. The art lies in tempering inspiration with the structure of technique."  B.A.Vierling

Papaver Somniferum & The Chamber of Wonders Exhibit

 .

The original Papaver Somniferum painting will be on display from December 14th- January 2nd in the Enlightenment Cabinet: Chamber of Wonders group show, curated by Yvette Endrijautzki, at Krab Jab Studio in Seattle. The exhibit features an eclectic array of international artists.

The Wunderkammer (chamber of wonders) arose during the Renaissance in Europe as universal and encyclopedic collections that would capture all of the lore and knowledge of an epoch. Also known by various names such as Cabinet of Wonders, Kunstkammer, or Curiosity Cabinets, they also formed collections that were precursors to museums.

Portraying a memory theater and microcosm of the world, including odd objects belonging to natural history, archaeology, religious relics, curio paintings, science and antiquities.... 

The opening reception is Saturday, December 14th, from 6:00 PM. - 9:00 PM.
Krab Jab Studio. 5628 Airport Way S. Ste 246, Georgetown, Seattle. WA.  98108.
Event is concurrent with the Georgetown Art Attack.

Drawing from a rich legacy of botanical illustration, Papaver Somniferum evokes the Geist of the infamous opium poppy in meticulously rendered splendor. This image of the Red King originally appeared in the now renown Infernal Proteus musical herbal compilation, published by :AJNA: in 2002. The book features artworks by Madeline von Foerster, Markus Wolff and others, embellishing a presentation 90 pages long with 4 CDs containing over 40 different musical artists. The book has long since sold out. 

In addition to Papaver Somniferum, a small egg tempera and oil painting titled, 'Corvidae Skull' will also be exhibited at Krab Jab Studio, within the Quoth the Raven group show. On display from January 11th through January 30th. Both works are offered for sale. Interested collectors please contact Krab Jab Studio directly.

Vierling works at Three Hands Gallery

The esoteric publishing house, Three Hands Press, has announced the launch of their web Gallery. Several original Vierling artworks, including the painting, Night's Passage, are available for sale. Interested collectors please contact Three Hands Press directly.

A few copies of the limited edition Sacred Heart Lithograph are also still available, and can be ordered via the Three Hands website. 

Fyrnask art nominated for best album cover of 2013

The artwork for Fyrnask's "Eldir Nótt" has been nominated for the Best Art Vinyl 2013 prize in the United Kingdom. Announced via news outlets such as the BBC, METRO, and Design Week.

From the Design Week article:

 "Having released some of 2013’s biggest-selling records, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Daft Punk are now among artists in the running for the Best Art Vinyl 2013 prize.
Now in its ninth year, Art Vinyl puts record sleeve designs to a public vote in an effort to find the year’s best cover.
A 50-strong shortlist has been drawn up, with big-name pop stars alongside lesser-known groups such as FYRNASK,  Ras G and Pissed Jeans. Designers on the shortlist include Big Active, Leif Podhajsky and YES.
Art Vinyl founder Andrew Heeps suggests that the award is ‘possibly the most credible end-of-year award, where the artistic merits of the completely unknown can sit alongside big names in music – albeit in celebration of their visual identity’."

The complete roster of selected albums, which includes an album cover by renown UK artist, Damien Hirst, can be seen on the Metro website, and on the Design Week website. The Vierling Fyrnask cover is #22 in the list.

Voting on the best album cover is open to the general public, and can be done directly at the Art Vinyl website. 

 

Mandragora officinarum & CLAVIS

The second issue of the Clavis Journal features the painting, Mandragora officarum, as a companion illustration for an article about the infamous Mandrake plant. Also included in this issue is the painting, The Path, alongside artworks by other notable peers and colleagues including Madeline von Foerster, Hagen von Tulien, and Timo Ketola.

The second issue of the journal will be officially released Saturday, the 16th of November, at the Anna Miliksetian | MJBrigss Gallery in Los Angeles. Two Vierling paintings will be on display at the event. Interested collectors please contact the Clavis Journal for more information.

From the Clavis Website:

Clavis Journal is a book-quality occult periodical published every nine months by Clavis Editions, a collaborative endeavor between Three Hands Press and Ouroboros Press. At over 200 pages, its second volume contains 17 essays by some of the most cogent esoteric authors of our time, including Henrik Bogdan, Gordan Djurdjevic, Andrew D. Chumbley, and Gemma Gary. Volume 2 builds upon the tradition established in our maiden volume: ”A Journal of Occult Arts, Letters, and Experience“.

To mark its release, an official launch party will be held on Saturday the 16th of November in Los Angeles, California from 7:00-10:00 PM at Anna Meliksetian | MJBriggs Gallery. Our guest speaker will be Gordan Djurdjevic, who will give a brief talk on the Thelemic goddess Babalon, the subject of his essay in CLAVIS 2.

The event will also feature the exhibited artworks Tom Allen, Billy Davis, Caroline Hamilton-Giles, Carlos Melgoza and Benjamin Vierling whose work appears along with other artists in Volume 2. Several of the artists will be in attendance, and refreshments will be served.

Ouroboros Press and Three Hands Press titles will be on hand for sale, as will be selections of original art from our artists. Announcements on future works from the publishers will also be made.

To order a copy of the journal, please visit the Clavis website.