One Burning Question with Trudy Benson

NY Arts Magazine: Please tell us something about your work that often gets overlooked by the unfamiliar or untrained eye.
Trudy Benson: I’ve had more than a few studio visits start out with some kind of, “Oh, I get it now,” comment. It’s obvious that the most common mode of consumption of painting today is via the screen. No matter how well I document the paintings, there’s always somewhat of a flattening effect. In my work, what often goes overlooked is the surface of the painting, especially the textural elements. For example, paint squeezed directly from the tube can be incredibly graphic. I quite like the double read: the initial image-based read of the painting when viewed from across the room or through a screen, as compared to the material-based read when you encounter one of my paintings from a more intimate distance. Abstract painting today inevitably has more to do with imagery than ever before, thanks to the democracy of the thumbnail. Even the most process-oriented works are translated with an iconic essence.