About Ben Mangano
Ben has been painting for over 35 years. He spent time living in the Australian outback during the early 1970's where he developed a fascination for painting the crisp and contrasting colours of northern Australia. The allure of the Australian outback is manifest in the vivid colour, freedom and application of raw energy emanating from his paintings.
Although largely self taught, Ben completed several courses at the Claremont School of Art, Perth.
Background
From an early age Ben held an intrigue with aesthetics and drawing soon became a passion. His creative spirit also became apparent in the design and making of things. This intrigue translated to the making of decorative objects, furniture, building houses and interior design.
In 1973 Ben moved to Karratha in the North West of Western Australia where the vivid colours and spectacular terrain of northern WA captured his imagination. Ben decided to experiment with capturing the north west atmosphere in oils. He sold his first painting in 1973 and soon encountered strong demand for his North West landscapes. In the same year Ben won the North West Art Competition and received a number of commissions from private collectors.
After leaving the North West in 1975, Ben returned to Perth and continued to develop his painting while also applying his creativity in the corporate world.
During the 1990's, Ben established a psychology practice in Perth and although the practice gave him a capacity to explore his intrigue with the human mind, his dream to take his art the next level continued to entice him. Ben moved to Melbourne in 2001 and now engages with his passion for art on a full time basis.