OPEN TO INTERPRETATION is a series of still lifes composed in his studio by Benoit Malphettes
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION
Disclaimer: please note that the art may elicit some uncomfortable emotions or memories as some viewers may find it disturbing or unsettling. I hope you can appreciate the importance of the themes displayed and I do invite you to venture beyond what is visually literal and enjoy the symbolism presented as you enter the exhibit.
For this series, I am returning to my studio’s intimate and personal world of still life. A world of quietness and contemplation, a world of fluidity and liberation: it is 5:30 in the morning. I sit in front of an empty backdrop and let my mind go without my guidance, giving it as much space as it wants. Then I compose and photograph as a spectator of my unconscious, fully aware of keeping at bay the vigilance of reason, at least at this stage. I let my mind venture beyond the ordinary and the obvious until what I compose provokes introspection and builds new pathways.
In an uncontrolled manner, I search for artifacts I have collected over the years. Odd objects, fragments, old documents, anything, until the moment I no longer look at them for what they are but, instead, I follow them within the world they invite me in. I slowly listen to their stories: this was sad, this one is beautiful, this one not so much, this one I use daily, this one is useless. I then deliberately free them from their static existence by combining them with an unexpected fate, affliction, fear, heartache, solitude, senescence - emotions that, sooner or later, accompany us in our journey. Many of those photographs are autobiographical and reflect my Jesuit education and familiarity with French Art.
Coming from a photographic film generation, I have transitioned to a high-end digital approach in my work by using a technical camera; this has allowed me to combine the traditional photographic discipline with the advantages of digital technology.Indeed, the viewer will discover explicit or diffuse associations that may or may not have anything to do with my personal views. Still, the symbols are all there for the audience’s choosing, from time irreparably slipping away from us to the inescapable truth of death, all skillfully camouflaged by our daily subterfuges.
Sometimes, I try to explain to myself the strange and disparate concoctions suggested by my photographic work but mostly, I am left with more questions than answers.
From August 25th - January 8th, 2023, you can view this exhibit at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California, which features an interactive audience experience.
If you would like to purchase any of my prints, please contact me at info@benoit.la