Bio
The French-born photographer became familiar with the world of fashion early on: "I accompanied my mother to the fashion shows of Yves St Laurent and Coco Chanel and was fascinated by the beauty and drama of it all. I knew I wanted to interpret that excitement, and eventually, I found photography the most expressive way".
By his early 20's Benoit was already an established fashion photographer. As his career brought him to New York and California, in 1977 he decided to make Los Angeles his permanent home and became a U.S. citizen. His strong signature style and mastery of his large format camera quickly gained international recognition, with his fashion and advertising work published in American & French Vogue, Bazaar, W, Essence and others.
In 2006 Benoit had decided to retire from the commercial part of his photography to devote himself to fine art projects. His still lifes and landscapes are composed from a provocative point of view and with an unusual awareness that would characterize his unique take on reality. His latest collection Open To Interpretation illustrate this concept and, in fact, invites viewers to follow the title 's direction literally: supply their own explanations of the pieces.
His photography is represented in private collections and several museums. His work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions and group shows in Museums and was included in NY's MoMa exhibit "Is Fashion Modern".
Bio of Benoit Malphettes