"Andrew Baines has become one of the most recognisable and collectable of Australia's contemporary artists. Since his youth, Baines has felt a deep connection to the beach. Family holidays were spent exploring new beachscapes, "the everchanging beach became a metaphor for my life." Driven by a memory he recalls from London at age 14 - a sea of men in the underground in dark suits, bowler hats, umbrellas and briefcases, Baines paints to reckon with conformity. Baines gathers people dressed as in his memory of London, to pose for him on the beach, becoming "surreal human sculpture." Baines retires to his studio to bring his canvasses to life with the scene. Baines has held more than 30 solo and group exhibitions across Australia, Italy, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Singapore." http://www.hothamstreetcontemporary.com/artists/painting-printmaking/artists.php?id=84 "Cows were a bovine muse for Andrew Baines long before he became known internationally for coaxing groups of people in suits and bowler hats to wade into the ocean as what he calls human sculptures. ''I've always painted cows and drawn cows but I've never shown them,'' the artist says. ''I did a little bit initially, in the early part of my career. But it was when I went to the country and revisited the paddocks that I thought to myself: I should start putting these back into my work because they tie in nicely with the suited herd.'' That country trip came about seven years ago after the Adelaide father of three ''burnt out completely''- with pain from a repetitive strain injury shooting through his shoulder - from painting too many of his popular beach scenes. ''The demand was ridiculous,'' he says. ''I couldn't sleep.'' Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/holy-cow-artists-bovine-fascination-is-a-secret-no-more-20100729-10xvb.html#ixzz3LVGj2jpq undefined

More on Google