Today we reveal the breath-taking cover for the September 1st issue, “Birds of Rain,” a collaborative artwork by painter and filmmaker Ariel Neo and beach artist Jben. As the sea washes in over the ephemeral art on the beach, the piece examines grief and loss in a large scale but very personal manner. You’ll hear more about “Birds of Rain” over the next month in our Artist Features and in the upcoming issue of the magazine.
Ariel Neo is a versatile interdisciplinary artist from Brittany, France, following her unique vision in the fields of oil painting, photography and film. Her inspiration springs primarily from nature and her distress at the damage humanity is causing to the environment. As a painter, she makes bold, colorful totemic images on large, round canvases, often installed and photographed in outdoor settings where they take on an unusual and profound resonance. Several of her short films, including Rainslide and her most recent release, Firefalls, have broken onto the international stage, winning numerous awards and inspiring audiences.
Jehan-Benjamin Tarain alias Jben, 39, is a project manager and web designer by profession. He discovered beach art in March 2014. The concept really appealed to him and it wasn’t long before he made his first attempts on the beaches of the Royan estuary, a playground trodden since his childhood. He is now recognized under the artist pseudo Jben and works mainly on the beaches of Charente-Maritime where he is from.