Amy Bennett Work | Artist Statement & CV | Return to Artist List
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Artist Statement
Working with common themes such as transition, aging, isolation, and loss, I am interested in the fragility of relationships and people’s awkwardness in trying to coexist and relate to one another. To that end I create miniature 3D models to serve as evolving still lifes from which I paint detailed narrative paintings. Using cardboard, foam, wood, paint, glue, and model railroading miniatures, I construct various fictional, scale models including a neighborhood, lake, theater, doctor’s office, church, and numerous domestic interiors among other settings. The model becomes a stage on which I develop narratives. It offers me complete control over lighting, composition, and vantage point to achieve a certain dramatic effect.
While working with tiny pieces that often slip frustratingly from my fingers, I am reminded of the delicacy and vulnerability of the world I am creating, and this summons empathy for my subject. The clumsy inadequacies of miniatures help me to convey a sense of artifice and distance. I try to paint the scenes in a way that feels like a believable world, but an alternate, fabricated world.
The paintings are glimpses of a scene or fragments of a narrative. Similar to a memory, they are fictional constructions of significant moments meant to elicit specific feelings and to provoke the viewer to consider the moment before or after the one presented in the painting. I am interested in storytelling over time through repeated depictions of the same house or car or person, seasonal changes, and shifting vantage points. Like the disturbing difficulty of trying to put rolls of film in order several years after the pictures have been taken, my aim is for the collective images to suggest a known past that is just beyond reach.
Throughout 2010 and 2011, I created a mosaic with fabricator Franz Meyer of Munich for MTA’s Arts for Transit. Installation of the project, “Heydays” was recently completed in the 86th St./4th Ave. R Line Subway Station in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Working with common themes such as transition, aging, isolation, and loss, I am interested in the fragility of relationships and people’s awkwardness in trying to coexist and relate to one another. To that end I create miniature 3D models to serve as evolving still lifes from which I paint detailed narrative paintings. Using cardboard, foam, wood, paint, glue, and model railroading miniatures, I construct various fictional, scale models including a neighborhood, lake, theater, doctor’s office, church, and numerous domestic interiors among other settings. The model becomes a stage on which I develop narratives. It offers me complete control over lighting, composition, and vantage point to achieve a certain dramatic effect.
While working with tiny pieces that often slip frustratingly from my fingers, I am reminded of the delicacy and vulnerability of the world I am creating, and this summons empathy for my subject. The clumsy inadequacies of miniatures help me to convey a sense of artifice and distance. I try to paint the scenes in a way that feels like a believable world, but an alternate, fabricated world.
The paintings are glimpses of a scene or fragments of a narrative. Similar to a memory, they are fictional constructions of significant moments meant to elicit specific feelings and to provoke the viewer to consider the moment before or after the one presented in the painting. I am interested in storytelling over time through repeated depictions of the same house or car or person, seasonal changes, and shifting vantage points. Like the disturbing difficulty of trying to put rolls of film in order several years after the pictures have been taken, my aim is for the collective images to suggest a known past that is just beyond reach.
Throughout 2010 and 2011, I created a mosaic with fabricator Franz Meyer of Munich for MTA’s Arts for Transit. Installation of the project, “Heydays” was recently completed in the 86th St./4th Ave. R Line Subway Station in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
CV
AMY BENNETT
MAIL: 111 Hicks St. Apt. 10G Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
347-323-5431
amy.bennett@earthlink.net
www.amybennett.com
BORN
1977 Maine, United States
SOLO EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
2011
-New Paintings, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-Heydays (Permanent Mosaic Installation), 86th Street & 4th Ave. Line Brooklyn, MTA Arts for Transit, NY
2009
-Vacationland, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
-Out in the Open - Monotypes, (with Tommy Hilding) Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-At The Lake, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2007
-Buried, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-Neighbors, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2005
-Stories, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011
-Otherworldly: Optical Delusions & Small Realities, Museum of Arts and Design, NYC
-Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts, American Academy of Arts & Letters, NYC
2010
-Today is Yesterday Tomorrow, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm
-Between Picture and Viewer: The Image in Contemporary Painting, Visual Arts Gallery of the School of Visual Arts, NYC
-Landscape and Solitude, Kumukumu Gallery, NYC
-Art Basel, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Basel
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-Art Fair Tokyo, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo
-The Armory Show, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
-Pulse Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, Miami, FL
2009
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-The Armory Show, Galleri Magnus Karlsson & -Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
-Pulse Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
2007
-Size Matters: XS, Hudson Valley Center for -Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NYC
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-A House is Not a Home, Caren Golden Fine Art, NYC
-LA Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
2006
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-Pulse Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, Miami, FL
-The Armory Show, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, NYC
-LA Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
-ArtLA, Linda Warren Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2005
-Visitors from the East, Billy Shire Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA
-The Gallery, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-Something is Somewhere, Monya Rowe Gallery, NYC
-Art Chicago, International Art Fair, Chicago, IL
2004
Points of Muse, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003
Public Domain, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
Space Invaders, Fish Tank Gallery, NYC
AWARDS
2011
-Rosenthal Family Foundation Award in Painting
2010
-NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowship
-Marie Walsh Sharpe Studio Program 2010/11, NY
2006
-NY Foundation for the Arts / Deutsche Bank Fellowship
-Smack Mellon Studio Fellowship
2004
-Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
2003
-Prince of Wales Scholarship to Normandy, France
2002
-Research Fellowship, New York Academy of Art, NY
PRESS
2011
-Kino, Carol, A Peephole Perspective on Tiny Worlds, The New York Times, June 9, p20
-Goings on About Town: Art - Otherworldly: Optical Delisions and Small Realities, The New Yorker, July 25, p13
- Miranda, Carolina A., This Week: Must See Arts in the City: Otherworldly, NPR, June 9 -15
-Chapman,Ben, Brooklyn Artist has Heart of Glass: Working on Mural for Subway Station, NY Daily News, March 3
-Stewart, Henry, The Artist on Her New R Train Mosaic and the Nabe that Inspired It, The L Magazine, March 8
-Egein, Harold, Subway Art Comign to 86th Street R Station Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Feb. 17
2009
-Knight,Christopher, Amy Bennett at Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 22
-Bec, Alex, Amy Bennett, It’s Nice That, Issue #2, Oct.
-Choate, Andrew, Amy Bennett “At the Lake” at Richard Heller, Art Ltd. Magazine, March
- Hwang, Ji-myeong, In Studio: Amy Bennett, Vogue Girl Korea, No. 92 Oct.
-Sloan, Hannah, Amy Bennett: At the Lake, THE Magazine, Feb/March
-Pasulka, Nicole, At the Lake, TheMorningNews.org, May 18
-Nadler, Susie, New Paintings from Amy Bennett: Lakefront Series, ApartmentTherapy.com, May 7
2007
-DeBurton, Simon, Eight that could shake the world, Financial Times, Sept. 29
- Hammarström, Camilla, The Smell of Snow, Aftonbladet, Sept.
-Persman, Joanna, Small Stories Become Disturbingly Real, Svenska Dagbladet, Sept. 8
- Olofsson, Anders, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm: Amy Bennett, konsten.net Sept.-Oct.
-Finkel, Jori, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Art + Auction, Apr. p.147
-Myers, Holly, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 26, E27
- Bedford, Christopher, Amy Bennett, ArtForum.com, Jan.-Feb.
-Pasulka, Nicole, Neighbors, TheMorningNews.org, Jan. 22-29
- Han, Gregory, The Gallery: Amy Bennett, ApartmentTherapy.com, Jan. 9,
- Sandall, Simon, Interview, www.readersvoice.com, Feb.
-Young, Stephanie, Rear Window, Vellum no.5, June
-Ziomek, Jenny, From a Distance, NY Arts Magazine, March-April 2005
-Hawkins, Margaret, Amy Bennett, ARTnews, Sept.
-Hawkins, Margaret, Amy Bennett, Chicago Sun-Times, Apr. 22.
-Hinkel, Joanne, Art Trips, Centerstage Chicago, Apr. 18.
2004
-Skolnik, Lisa, The Art of Amy Bennett, Design & Architecture, Chicago Edition, August, pp. 8, 10, 32-35.
-Littman, Margaret, Ten Things to do this Weekend, Crain’s Chicago Business Online, August.
-Zoltak, Benjamin, Can of Culture, Centerstage Chicago Online, August.
2003
- Krenz, Marcel, Space Invaders: Six Painters & Two Sculptors Reconstruct Representation, Contemporary, Issue 55
-Up & Coming, Brooklyn Free Press, May 2-8.
EDUCATION
2002
-MFA, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
1999
-BFA, summa cum laude, University of Hartford, Hartford, CT
Additional Studies:
-St. Edmund’s Hall, Oxford University, Oxford, England
-University of Georgia Art School in Cortona, Italy
AMY BENNETT
MAIL: 111 Hicks St. Apt. 10G Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
347-323-5431
amy.bennett@earthlink.net
www.amybennett.com
BORN
1977 Maine, United States
SOLO EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
2011
-New Paintings, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-Heydays (Permanent Mosaic Installation), 86th Street & 4th Ave. Line Brooklyn, MTA Arts for Transit, NY
2009
-Vacationland, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
-Out in the Open - Monotypes, (with Tommy Hilding) Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-At The Lake, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2007
-Buried, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-Neighbors, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2005
-Stories, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011
-Otherworldly: Optical Delusions & Small Realities, Museum of Arts and Design, NYC
-Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts, American Academy of Arts & Letters, NYC
2010
-Today is Yesterday Tomorrow, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm
-Between Picture and Viewer: The Image in Contemporary Painting, Visual Arts Gallery of the School of Visual Arts, NYC
-Landscape and Solitude, Kumukumu Gallery, NYC
-Art Basel, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Basel
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-Art Fair Tokyo, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo
-The Armory Show, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
-Pulse Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, Miami, FL
2009
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-The Armory Show, Galleri Magnus Karlsson & -Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
-Pulse Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
2007
-Size Matters: XS, Hudson Valley Center for -Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NYC
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-A House is Not a Home, Caren Golden Fine Art, NYC
-LA Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
2006
-Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
-Pulse Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, Miami, FL
-The Armory Show, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, NYC
-LA Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, NYC
-ArtLA, Linda Warren Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2005
-Visitors from the East, Billy Shire Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA
-The Gallery, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
-Something is Somewhere, Monya Rowe Gallery, NYC
-Art Chicago, International Art Fair, Chicago, IL
2004
Points of Muse, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003
Public Domain, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
Space Invaders, Fish Tank Gallery, NYC
AWARDS
2011
-Rosenthal Family Foundation Award in Painting
2010
-NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowship
-Marie Walsh Sharpe Studio Program 2010/11, NY
2006
-NY Foundation for the Arts / Deutsche Bank Fellowship
-Smack Mellon Studio Fellowship
2004
-Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
2003
-Prince of Wales Scholarship to Normandy, France
2002
-Research Fellowship, New York Academy of Art, NY
PRESS
2011
-Kino, Carol, A Peephole Perspective on Tiny Worlds, The New York Times, June 9, p20
-Goings on About Town: Art - Otherworldly: Optical Delisions and Small Realities, The New Yorker, July 25, p13
- Miranda, Carolina A., This Week: Must See Arts in the City: Otherworldly, NPR, June 9 -15
-Chapman,Ben, Brooklyn Artist has Heart of Glass: Working on Mural for Subway Station, NY Daily News, March 3
-Stewart, Henry, The Artist on Her New R Train Mosaic and the Nabe that Inspired It, The L Magazine, March 8
-Egein, Harold, Subway Art Comign to 86th Street R Station Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Feb. 17
2009
-Knight,Christopher, Amy Bennett at Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 22
-Bec, Alex, Amy Bennett, It’s Nice That, Issue #2, Oct.
-Choate, Andrew, Amy Bennett “At the Lake” at Richard Heller, Art Ltd. Magazine, March
- Hwang, Ji-myeong, In Studio: Amy Bennett, Vogue Girl Korea, No. 92 Oct.
-Sloan, Hannah, Amy Bennett: At the Lake, THE Magazine, Feb/March
-Pasulka, Nicole, At the Lake, TheMorningNews.org, May 18
-Nadler, Susie, New Paintings from Amy Bennett: Lakefront Series, ApartmentTherapy.com, May 7
2007
-DeBurton, Simon, Eight that could shake the world, Financial Times, Sept. 29
- Hammarström, Camilla, The Smell of Snow, Aftonbladet, Sept.
-Persman, Joanna, Small Stories Become Disturbingly Real, Svenska Dagbladet, Sept. 8
- Olofsson, Anders, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm: Amy Bennett, konsten.net Sept.-Oct.
-Finkel, Jori, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Art + Auction, Apr. p.147
-Myers, Holly, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 26, E27
- Bedford, Christopher, Amy Bennett, ArtForum.com, Jan.-Feb.
-Pasulka, Nicole, Neighbors, TheMorningNews.org, Jan. 22-29
- Han, Gregory, The Gallery: Amy Bennett, ApartmentTherapy.com, Jan. 9,
- Sandall, Simon, Interview, www.readersvoice.com, Feb.
-Young, Stephanie, Rear Window, Vellum no.5, June
-Ziomek, Jenny, From a Distance, NY Arts Magazine, March-April 2005
-Hawkins, Margaret, Amy Bennett, ARTnews, Sept.
-Hawkins, Margaret, Amy Bennett, Chicago Sun-Times, Apr. 22.
-Hinkel, Joanne, Art Trips, Centerstage Chicago, Apr. 18.
2004
-Skolnik, Lisa, The Art of Amy Bennett, Design & Architecture, Chicago Edition, August, pp. 8, 10, 32-35.
-Littman, Margaret, Ten Things to do this Weekend, Crain’s Chicago Business Online, August.
-Zoltak, Benjamin, Can of Culture, Centerstage Chicago Online, August.
2003
- Krenz, Marcel, Space Invaders: Six Painters & Two Sculptors Reconstruct Representation, Contemporary, Issue 55
-Up & Coming, Brooklyn Free Press, May 2-8.
EDUCATION
2002
-MFA, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
1999
-BFA, summa cum laude, University of Hartford, Hartford, CT
Additional Studies:
-St. Edmund’s Hall, Oxford University, Oxford, England
-University of Georgia Art School in Cortona, Italy
“Smoke Signals” oil on panel, 30 x 40” 2011
“We Have Our Doubts” oil on panel, 27 x 36” 2011
“Hypochondriac” oil on panel, 2 x 2.5” 2010
“Diagnosis” oil on panel, 3 x 4”2010
Doctor’s office model/still life for related paintings, mixed media, 1 1/2"H x 7 1/4” W x 5"D, 2010-2011
“Examination Room” oil on panel, 2.25 x 4” 2011
“Waiting Room” oil on panel, 3.75 x 8” 2010
“The Weight of Things” oil on panel, 5 x 15” 2011
“Understudy” oil on panel, 10 x 17” 2010
“Dress Rehearsal” monotype, 5 x 7” 2010
“Estranged” monotype, 5 x 7” 2011
“Years Later” monotype, 11.5 x 17” 2010
“Taking It Hard” monotype, 5 x 7” 2011
“We Hope So” monotype, 5 x 7” 2009
“Disgrace” oil on panel, 2.5 x 4.25” 2010
“Leftovers” oil on panel, 3.5 x 6” 2010
“Heydays” mosaic, 5 x 45’ 2011 MTA Arts for Transit, Bay Ridge R Subway Station
detail from “Heydays” mosaic, 5 x 45’ 2011 MTA Arts for Transit, Bay Ridge R Subway Station
“Heat” oil on panel, 24 x 38” 2009
“Trespassers” oil on panel, 18 x 18” 2008