Parker Benfield
Smoke and Mirrors, 2021
Lunch with Family
Acrylic on cardboard
23 x 16 inches
Evening Stroll
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
18 x 11.5 inches
Going to the Bathroom
Acrylic and oil pastel on unstretched canvas
29 x 33 inches
Cozy with a Book
Acrylic, graphite, and oil pastel on cardboard.
120 x 35 inches
Basket of Fruit
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 24 inches
Smoke and Mirrors is both the title and the subject of my exploration. The series of paintings sprang from the close analysis of this phrase. The seemingly inane titles of the individual pieces, like smoke and mirror, obscure or distort the content.
Much of the significance of Smoke and Mirrors has to do with the artifice of imagery. By taking inspiration from subjects such as video games and cartoons I expose this inherent deception. This is accomplished through representing these subjects from memory as well as through use of their aesthetic tendencies to depict scenes from everyday life. In doing so the images produced are twice removed from reality, since they are derived from a representation of reality rather than reality itself.
The connection to video games and contemporary media is also heightened by situating the viewpoint of each image in the first person.
I’m interested in these subjects because they are both mediums which simplify reality into a readable visual image. I’m fascinated by how these images are understood and especially intrigued by how they can be misunderstood. More specifically, how this visual vocabulary can be manipulated to accomplish my goal of understanding Smoke and Mirrors.
The medium, painting, lends itself to my goals as texture and transparency can be utilized to emphasize the materiality of the work. Rough, textured, or somewhat careless handling of the paint is utilized in some areas to do so. This is intended to make the viewer uneasy; to get them to think about and analyze the painting and its relationship to Smoke and Mirrors as a condition of contemporary life.
Click images to enlarge.
