Pierre Bennu
From The King Must Die Series.
About:
I studied formally in film & fine art at Pratt Institute and currently live and work in Baltimore, MD.
I relish working with found and repurposed materials because I am enamored with the story implied in the object. Why was it discarded? What was its former life? Once I have created a painting, portrait, collage, or film using this material, does its previous life speak to its new context in a compelling way? This conversation/tension between an original piece and a subsequent creative use harkens back to sampling, as expressed in graffiti and hip hop, the creative garden in which I grew.
This theme also shows in my use of found footage/visual ephemera in my film and video work, the way my DJ sets mash technique and genre in unexpected ways.
As society and culture gets more disposable I want us to give another look at those things we throw away; I work to find the eternal in the temporary.
The King Must Die Series.
The King Must Die Series.
Statement:
At basis, and in every medium, I am a storyteller.
The Ocean Series.
The Ocean Series.
I grew up in the late 70s and early 80s in NYC and graffiti artists were my first superheroes. They transformed my world. They were the first to show me the creative potential in everyday objects.
Even today, I am inspired by the surprising material, the under appreciated subject, the alternative perspective, the unlikely surface. I relish working with found and repurposed materials because I am enamored with the story implied in the object. Why was it discarded? What was its former life? Once i have created a painting, portrait, collage, or film using this material, does its previous life speak to its new context in a compelling way? This conversation/tension/relationship between an original piece and a subsequent creative use harkens back to graffiti and hip hop, the garden in which I grew.
I also very often use found footage/visual ephemera in my film and video work, mash technique and genre in unexpected ways. As society and culture gets more disposable I want us to give another look at those things we throw away; I work to find the eternal in the temporary, and to approach life’s problems and conflicts with quirk and humor.