An imagined reality cannot be captured with just a camera lens. It takes an artist with a vision. This series of paintings by Australian artist Ben Smith is a window into impossible worlds. It’s a place with double-headed horses and saints sharing wine with gorillas.
Entitled ‘Personal Mythologies,’ the series has themes of duality and size. In the double self-portrait piece directly below, titled Doubt Begins at Breakfast, the artist has painted two versions of himself at the breakfast table. The provocative visual form alludes to a deeper concept of a fractured mindspace. The smaller form sitting on the other’s lap is a strange and wonderful visual contrast to the ordinary toast and eggs on the table.