Andrew Baines

English-borne in 1963, the Baines family immigrated to Australia when Andrew was a newborn, later settling in the coastal town of Grange, outside Adelaide.  Since youth, Baines has felt a deep connection to the beach.  Family holidays were spent exploring new beachscapes, "the ever-changing beach became a metaphor for my life."   

At age ten, Baines received his first paying art commission as a cartoonist for a local paper.  Pencil drawings sold to teachers and parents at his primary school followed.  Leaving school at the age of 16, Baines was employed for five years by a retailer to produce window displays. During his employment, he was accepted upon the strength of his talent, not having finished school, into a degree program at the South Australian School of Art.  Of leaving formal art education, Baines says, "for me art is about bringing out an inner naivety which could only be developed on your own."

Realizing his potential as a commercial artist, Baines went out on his own, starting 'Baines Graphics.'  He produced murals and cartoons for BP Australia, The Australian Grand Prix, the S.A. Soccer Federation and numerous publications. 

In his thirties, Baines committed to being a full-time artist.  Driven by a memory he recalls from a visit to London at age 14, standing in the underground, witnessing a sea of men in dark suits, bowler hats, brollies and briefcases, Baines paints to reckon with conformity.  In an attempt to remain an individual while so many converge with "the herd," Baines gathers people dressed as in his memory of London, to pose for him on the beach, becoming "surreal human sculpture."  The stark contrast of black suits and bowler hats on the beach is captured in a photo, and Baines retires to his studio to bring his canvases to life with the scene.

Taking his "surreal human sculpture" idea to beaches across Australia, Baines has been spotted in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. A documentary filmed about Baines' work "The Surreal Deal" captured some of these unique beach moments.    

Since Baines has been painting full-time, he has held over 30 solo exhibitions and endless group exhibitions across Australia, Italy, the US, Canada, the UK, Scotland, Switzerland and Singapore.  Baines' is one of the most recognizable and collectable of Australia's contemporary artists.