Benjie #1 Print

It is hard for me to accept the notion that I should be doing one thing or another. Currently I play many roles – I teach in a public school, shoot fine art and commercial photography, silversmith, paint, write, code, woodwork, illustrate and tinker. I dream about delving deep into the hard sciences, into astronomy and physics, mathematics, engineering, design, civil rights and civilization building, and retreating or venturing into the unknown – depending on how you want to look at it. I am inspired by the meticulous detail and dedication to an ideal that an artist can develop, as they maintain their ability to challenge the nature and even the origin of a thing, and ultimately re-evaluate it. In this sense, I cannot differentiate science and art; they both inspire awe by continuously challenging our understanding and perception of the world around us while providing the lens through which we can imagine, manifest and surpass our very dreams. My work is a product of this ideal. I wish to always maintain the perspective of the periphery, of the blind spots and the unknown. I am interested in exploring the structures that we currently value and standardize, and deconstruct and re-evaluate them as necessary. Our brilliant and powerful mind should be allowed to function at its peak potential and guide us to an intelligent, rich, and efficacious existence for all.