Check out Kelley Benes’ Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley Benes.

Kelley, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
You hear many artists say that as a child they drew, painted, and crafted, and then a need for that behavior just continued into adulthood for them. This is true for me as well, but I think a lot of other factors play into my work.

I grew up in rural Minnesota, so, really, I grew up in the forest. I was never not outside–saving tadpoles from drying up puddles, rescuing salamanders from their impending doom in window wells, and collecting bits of nature that sparked my eye. I really can’t get enough of this planet, and I still feel overwhelmed by this today.

I ended up going to art school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I received my degree in Fine Art [printmaking & bookmaking] and Anthropology. After I completed my studies, I spent a lot of time focusing on my other love, the planet, and traveled quite a bit, and, to be honest, I quit practicing art.

My 20’s were spent moving around, a lot. I really was never in one place long enough to have a functioning studio. When I moved to Los Angeles, it really was the first place that I felt like I wanted to stay put. I have actually been here long enough now to have collected the materials and tools I need to make the things I want to make. And it is an added bonus that Southern California has an impressive flora & fauna backdrop for me to continue to enjoy.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
As I mentioned, I didn’t really make anything for the majority of my 20s. It wasn’t until I found taxidermy (ethically sourced specimens of course) that I found myself inspired again. It required the technical skill that I possessed and the fascination with the world around me. This really launched me into the things that I am making today. I would say it is one part taxidermy, one part anthropology, one part imagination, and one part a result of minor hoarding.

During my travels and moving around, I collected a lot of stuff. I liked finding things [the way I used to when I was outside], and wondering about it. Who made this? Why did they make this? [Unnatural] objects are really the story left behind by our fellow humans. And being an anthropologist as well as an artist, I love this sentiment, and I want to make things to leave behind that humans of the future will collect, put on a shelf, let get dusty, and wonder where this object came from and why did this person want it to exist at all.

I try to use materials that are found around me, reused, or vintage/antique parts to create my pieces. For example, all my little neck clam shells come from peoples’ leftover shells in their pasta dishes and all my eyelashes are made from my boyfriend’s ponytail that he cut off a few years back (sometimes it pays off to be a little bit of a hoarder).

Bigger picture, I just want people to laugh, feel inspired, and hopefully become curious about our world and the stories of all the humans who live here as well.

The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
I think what is most important to remember is that, as artists, there is inherent value in being able to have the time to make things we love.

I am lucky enough that I have a million other things I love, so I haven’t found it difficult to find work that can support that time I need to make things and isn’t totally soul-sucking. Just keep yourself open; your art doesn’t have to be every minute of every day. I find that all the other things I do to keep myself financially afloat, in the long run, always inspire my artwork as well.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have always been a secretive person–keeping my artistic life quite separate from my personal life. You are probably still confused what my real name is with my emails bouncing back different names–haha, sorry! It is hard for me to explain why, but I am trying to overcome this hurdle. So my name is Kelley, but, artistically, I go by KT Beans (Beans is a longstanding nickname I have had my whole life).

That being said, I am not full steam on the exhibition train, but I do have my little alias Instagram account where I post new works. I also sell my artwork at the Oddities Flea Market (originally based out of Brooklyn, NY, but now is in LA as well) sponsored by Atlas Obscura. You can see why my artwork fits in nicely there. There is one coming up in May, come meet me!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @beansofjohn

Image Credit:

Personal photo: Ian Schwartz

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.