About Us

Al Benkin aka Mutantland is an assemblage artist, woodworker, pop surreal painter and fiber art doll maker. Benkins style varies but she is most interested in pop surreal, old school surrealism and modern folk art. Benkin’s paintings & assemblages are often laden with visual language/iconography inspired by real life & personalized myths. The content varies from political and personal satire to comedies in the absurdity of daily life (often things that might get swept under a proverbial rug). Al often uses select found objects aka “Happy Ghosts” a term from her Grandmother, painter Juanita Beenken, in which she transforms and repurposes found objects.. Al’s work is often veiled in nostalgia, evidence of time & impermanence. After leaving College of Visual Art is St Paul MN, Benkin moved to NYC and studied under Bernhard Vennekohl, retired master carpenter and American Folk Painter Harry Folsom. Some artists Benkin loves are: Betye Saar, Catherine Bothwell, Vanessa German, Greer Lakton, Wangechi Mutu, Genesis P-Orridge, Bernice Sokol Kramer, JP Mika, Cristy C. Road, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Mackaline Thomas, Frida Kahlo, Lindsay Rheiner, Harry Folsom, Tress Turner, Keirnan Dunn, Otto Splotch, John Fittzgerald, Scooter LaForge, Annie Sprinkle, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yoko Ono, Jacklyn Brown, Dieter Roth, Dianna Teeter, Louis Borgeous, James Ensor (late work) & Hans Belmer. Al has found all above artists living and dead, to inspire & excel at trancending the bounds of storytelling thru art.

Benkin has shown nationally and internationally for the past 24 years. Her most recent solo show was pre pandemic in 2019:: “ f u t u r e g h o s t s “ at Pleiades Contemporary Art Gallery in the Chelsea Art District of NYC. Anoher highlight show was “Mutantland Drinks the Kool Aide” at Cult Party NYC in Brooklyn where she was invited to be the resident artist and curator in 2017. Other shows of note are “Nuances of Story Telling” a three person exhibit with painters Jaclyn Brown & Cecelia Roberts at Tribes Gallery in LES NYC. Al’s also showed with Gallery Artujillo in Minneapolis, MN with the late painter Americo Juan and was invited to be in the international curated show “The Doll’s of Lisbon, in Portugal with NYC's Antagonist Movement.  Benkin was involved with Ethan Minsker’s Antagonist Art Movement for a number of projects including guest curating “Ghost Dreaming in NYC” at the former Niagra Gallery off Tompkins Square park. Benkin has been written up in Pinned NYC, “Pulse of the Twin Cities”, featured for interviews on Fox Channel 5’s Butterfly Marketplace, Lower East Side Live and Antagovision and their work is published in the annual art magazine “A Gathering of Tribes” issue #13.  Benkin won Artist of the Month through Art Bazaar at Lyons Weir & her curatorial debut was at a pop up gallery/event space and BDSM dungeon loung named Burnt Kitty Vactory, showing work of Cristi C Road, Eddie Nadelhoft and Mel Elberg wth performance by Shmeckle and Widow as well as Scooter Pie and Luna Vary. Al also Curated "Urban Influence" at Third Eye Gallery in Bushwick Brooklyn including artists Ricardo Diaz and Josama Pollambra with music by Glitter and Mauled and Vince Price on accordian. Benkin Curated Floating Gallery’s exhibit “Namaste-ish” with artists Shannon Tracy and Lindsay Rheiner with artists Blue Velvet from SSTR and Team Buffy performing in The French Quarter. Anothe group show Al put together was a doll show at Birdies Gallery in New Orleans including artists Otto Splotch and Keirnan Dun and Ashley Teamer with performance by Teamer as her drag persona “Drifter”. In the fall of 2017 Al accepted position as resident artist and curator of Cult Party NYC. Cult Party NYC closed in 2020 because the pan dumb ic was/is a bitch. Happily Cult Party still exists in our hearts and online because Debbie Allen the founder and head witch is a powerhouse. Al is currently located between Miami and NYC and is set to be in Superfine! Miami Beach this Feb 2023.