Cindy Bennett is a native of Wyoming and currently
resides in California. She was first exhibited at the gallery in July 2002 as part of the successful "She's
Crafty" exhibition. Bennett specializes in photographic
monoprints and process and presentation are key elements
of her work. For the last several years she has been working
on a photographic series documenting the American West
and its vast geographical beauty, cultural variety, flora
and fauna.
Statement on Art Process
Photographic monoprints are transfer prints, an alternative
way to develop photographic images onto large surfaces.
I come from a painting background. For me, the transfer
process is a bridge between photographic actual imagery,
and the imaginary space of a painting composition. The
prints begin in my camera. I shoot high contrast, saturated
film for sharper edge quality with an idea of the final
composition. For instance, the junkyard imagery worked
well on a cloudy day with even light. The imagery became
darker with a more graphic outline while the even gray
sky stayed so light it didn't print becoming open, negative
space. In that open space lies a soft, even muslin sky
or more active painterly wood grain.
To make a photographic monoprint, I copy my photograph,
using a copier machine like an enlarger: developing images
to suit the final piece. Some copies are vastly larger,
some change color, some stay the same. After laying the
copied image face down onto a prepared wood, muslin, or
paper surface, I paint a biodegradable citrus cleaner
onto the back of the copy. The citrus cleaner frees the
oil holding the ink onto a copy. Using an etching press
or a hand brayer, I press the ink onto a new surface.
Each print is a single, one off image, a monoprint. No
two prints are exactly alike; each one varies slightly
in color, texture, and edge definition. Remarkably, the
citrus cleaner is an art solvent, an FDA approved food
additive used by bakeries in Orange county California
and the only cleaner used by the military on the stealth
bomber. |
