Artist – Gon Benard

Photographic Artwork by gbenard. This work is copyrighted and may not be exhibited, republished, copied or used in anyway; in either whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of the artist.

1. A  Self Portrait

This is a dynamite image. All of Mr. Benard’s works are technically gorgeous, but they never rest on those laurels. As always the deep content in terms of intellectual and emotional complexity impresses me. Here we see a man (the artist) unclothed and vulnerable yet close and up front in the frame. His head is shifted to the right in a passive feminine nature although like Olympia in Manet’s famous painting he looks straight at the audience / viewer / voyeur. Upon his torso is projected a thin light, as if filtered through a shaded window, that insufficiently clothes/cloaks him/her in an ephemeral and incomplete manner. The attire, a metaphor of strict Victorian styled garb is not able to cover her/him; like all clothes and fashion we can see beyond its refuge. Her/his, Our, sexuality is always there; clothed or unclothed, it remains. The tight lace collar at her/his neck is “actual”, more concrete. It cuts the figures head from his/her body. In true convention of gothic style, Intellect is removed and disconnected from the Sensual – Emotional Self. The lace is a reference or perhaps a gesture toward femininity that simply does not derail the obvious attempt to choke and confine the adorned. A bra shaped crescent light perforates his/her conservative attire, reveals nipples and suggests a bosom. The crescent bra doubles as a hieroglyphic bull; with eyes intent upon the audience appearing ready to charge and assault us for our feigned propriety. The only thing I would suggest would be a different crop of the subject slightly to the right of the image, to further emphasize the duality of sexuality vs. asexuality; male vs. female, discreet vs. indiscreet, viewer vs. viewed, theme. A woman stands to the side of her man – thus the black void is filled and the figure is once again refused his/her fullest actuality. Very psychological! Obviously, I love it!
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/gbentenza/2181835890/in/photostream/

2. To be able to feel colors

The picture frame is merely the window through which we perceive the image. None of us can join Mr. Benard within the moment of his creation. All we can bring to his image is merely reflections of ourselves.

With that said, the figure is reclining as if in a bath or perhaps a coffin. The candle, which is the subject matter due to its power to illuminate, its high contrast and central position, is located approximately where the figure’s penis would be located. The sexual organs might be the entrance to the soul but I see them more as the entrance to the emotions. Is the emotional light being sheltered or is it about to be grasped or even snuffed by the artist/creator’s hand? It is wired in a retro, post technology, approach to a translucent, dimly lit, head that is disembodied and stares back at the bathing or dormant figure. Is the candle (the emotional body) weakly illuminating the intellect represented by the detached, inanimate head? Or are the emotions, in fact, draining the intellect? The visual effect of the light in this photograph is reminiscent of chiaroscuro. Mr. Benard’s choice of a terra cotta, monochromatic palette is redolent of Rembrandt and other classical artists, and vaguely suggests the religious concept of man being formed from clay. Both references serve the subject matter well making it both timeless and archetypal.

Like the figure that Benard portrays in this photograph, beauty and inspiration always seems to be right at his fingertips. I highly recommend his Flickr site to you.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/gbentenza/2177699609/