Peter Alexander Benedetti is an artist from Brooklyn specializing in mixed media painting and digital illustration. After graduating with a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Peter Alexander Benedetti developed his vision by creating a prolific body of work that has been exhibited in a number of galleries in New York and across the country. From an early age Benedetti was drawn to all things eccentric in both art and life, and this predilection for difference and unconventional expression has influenced his craft, leading him to find inspiration in the extremes of those who cultivate lifestyles and beliefs beyond normative behavior and thought. 

Informed by 20th-century modern art, Benedetti’s work deals with themes involving the occult, vintage horror, and esoteric philosophy. Yet despite these often macabre and mystical features, his continually developing oeuvre is not limited in scope, nor confined to any one specific genre or aesthetic; Benedetti believes that the key to growth as an artist is to not adhere to any one method or doctrine, as any conformity leads to stagnation.

Benedetti’s exhibition at Second Street Gallery include these mixed media works on paper, the artist’s Divine Will Tarot deck and limited edition prints, and his collaborative child drawings.  Peter says of these collaborative works:

"Children’s drawings remind me of what I love about abstract expressionism. To me one of the most important aspects of modern painting has to do with action and reaction. The more you steer toward a steam of consciousness behavior while painting, the closer you come to finding yourself and where you need to be while making a work of art. When children draw or paint, they allow this freedom to flow freely. It's only though academic training that they begin to move further away from that honesty. I wanted to channel that honesty and use it to my advantage. The willingness to abandon any inclination toward realism is what makes these types of drawing so special to me."

EXHIBITION SPONSORS:

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts