Amy Bennett "Packages" 2022 Oil on panel 21.5 x 27 inches
Amy Bennett "The Last Sit" 2022 Oil on panel 17.5 x 24.5 inches
Amy Bennett, "Float" 2022 Oil on panel 13 x 19 inches
Amy Bennett "Onlookers" 2022 Oil on panel 7 x 5.5 inches
Amy Bennett "Flirt" 2021 Oil on panel 3.25 x 6.75 inches
Amy Bennett "Night Gardening" 2022 Oil on panel 16 x 20 inches
Amy Bennett "Flirt" 2022 Oil on panel 15 x 15 inches
Amy Bennett "Weirdo" 2022 Oil on panel 7 x 8 inches
Amy Bennett Consumption" 2022 Oil on panel 15 x 15 inches
Amy Bennett "Insomniac" 2022 Oil on panel 3.25 x 6 inches
Amy Bennett "Mornings" 2022 Oil on panel 3 x 4 inches
Amy Bennett "Living History" 2019 Oil on panel 16 x 20 inches
Amy Bennett "Targets" 2022 Oil on panel 8.5 x 12 inches
Amy Bennett "Recruit" 2019 Oil on panel 10 x 18 inches
Amy Bennett "Backstage" 2020 Oil on panel 10 x 15 inches
Amy Bennett "Pageant" 2019 Oil on panel 10 x 15 inches
Amy Bennett "Night Gardening" 2022 Oil on panel 20 x 16 inches
Amy Bennett "Microwave" 2022 Oil on panel 3 x 5 inches
Amy Bennett "Summer Crush", 2019, OIl on panel, 16 x 20 in.
Amy Bennett "Mother, Father", 2018, OIl on panel, 4 x 9 in.
Amy Bennett "Nothing New Under the Sun", 2016, Oil on canvas, 32 x 40 in.
Amy Bennett "Old Love", 2018, OIl on panel, 4.5 x 3.5 in.
Amy Bennett "Coming Of Age", 2019, Oil on panel, 6 x 10 in.
Amy Bennett "An Open Book", 2017, Oil on panel, 16 x 20 in.
Amy Bennett "Passing Through", 2016, Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 in.
Amy Bennett "Au Pair ", 2018, Oil on canvas, 20 x 28 in.
Amy Bennett "Day After Day", 2016, Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 in.
Amy Bennett "Elevator", 2021, Oil on panel, 3.5 x 10.25 in.
Amy Bennett
Born in 1977, Portland, Maine
Lives in Cold Spring, NY and works in Beacon, NY
Amy Bennett’s dreamlike scenes depict a miniaturized world playing at reality.
Bennett designs and paints from miniature 3D models, allowing her total creative control of the scenes she imagines. She is able to manipulate composition, light, and vantage point, often in an attempt to simulate the inadequacies of memory, dreams, and the imagination.
As an evolving still life for her new paintings, Bennett built a diorama of a fictional rural landscape and gradually developed it into farmland and ultimately, a town. Citing inspiration from an altered perception of time after having a baby, a move upstate from New York City to the Hudson Valley, Google Earth images of towns, and old city maps, Bennett has spent nearly four years creating her most recent series.
Beginning with a 8-foot square of styrofoam, Bennett carved mountains, valleys, rivers and ponds, and propagated a verdant fake landscape with hundreds of wire and foam trees. She fabricated over 450 wooden buildings in 1/500 scale (similar to the size of a Monopoly hotel): houses, garages, commercial buildings, storefronts, and schools and painted each by hand. The tiny structures gradually populated her artificial town. She then mapped the complete village and stages of development over time, documenting the changes in her model through a series of paintings and monotypes beginning with landscape paintings.
Bennett allowed the textures of transparent or partially mixed paint to mimic the natural wildness of the landscape. Bit by bit more order became imposed as property lines emerged and tidy rows of planted farmland developed. Her handling of the paint became more precise as a pond became a grocery store and parking lot; a farmhouse became a school complex; an old house sitting at an odd angle stubbornly remained as the town built up around it.
Bennett’s new paintings invite the viewer to consider shifting relationships to our surroundings over the course of time, and offer an eerie reminder of the persistence of change and the impermanence of everything.
“Amy Bennett has developed another way to suggest the flow of time within the static medium of painting. Her mechanism is the creation of painstakingly detailed miniature models of the worlds that her paintings bring to life. The creation and gradual alterations of these models allow Bennett to indulge a novelistic sensibility as she imagines various scenarios and interrelationships and realizes them in her paintings.
There is something quintessentially American in Bennett’s focus on the complicated dance between privacy and exposure and in the tension between an individualism rooted in the nuclear family and the snares and attractions of community. The settings she selects are precisely those in which the American ideals of freedom and security clash. And the primacy that she gives to nature in so many of these works also reflects the American dream of nature tamed and improved—the promise of the new Eden that is so much a part of American mythology.”
- Eleanor Heartney, from her essay Amy Bennett: Painting Time.
Black Dog Publishing released a monograph of the artist’s work entitled Amy Bennett: Small Changes Every Day.
More About Amy Bennett:
AMY BENNETT (b. 1977 in Portland, ME) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1999 from the University of Hartford, CT and her Master of Fine Arts degree in 2002 from the New York Academy of Art.
Bennett has had numerous solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, including Richard Heller Gallery at Volta, New York, NY; Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden; Permanent Mosaic Installation, 86th Street & 4th Avenue Brooklyn Subway Station, MTA Arts for Transit, Brooklyn, NY; Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA; and Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Recent group exhibitions include Southampton Art Center, Southampton, NY; Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, NY; LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY; Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden; Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angles, CA; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; MUba Eugene Leroy, Tourcoing, France; Galleri Magnus Karlsson at Frieze Art Fair, London, England; Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY; American Academy of Arts & Letters, New York, NY; Tomio Koyama Gallery at Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Tomio Koyama Gallery at Art Fair Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Richard Heller Gallery at The Armory Show, New York, NY; Kumukum Gallery, New York, NY; Richard Heller Gallery at Pulse, New York, NY; and Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY.
Bennett is the recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (Fine Arts); Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant; Rosenthal Family Foundation Award in Painting; American Academy of Arts & Letters Purchase Award; New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship; Marie Walsh Sharpe Studio Program 2010-11; New York Foundation for the Arts/ Deutsche Bank Fellowship; Smack Mellon Studio Program; Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant; Prince of Wales Scholarship to Normandy; New York Academy of Art Research Fellowship; Felicia C. Miller Award for Artistic Excellence; and the Barbara Podorowsky Memorial Award for Excellence in Painting.
Bennett's work is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
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2002 MFA, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
1999 BFA, summa cum laude, University of Hartford, Hartford, CT
Additional Studies:
St. Edmund’s Hall, Oxford University, Oxford, England
University of Georgia Art School in Cortona, Italy
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2016
Small Changes Every Day, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CATime Speeds Up, Ameringer McEnery Yohe, New York, NY
2013
Volta New York (two-person booth), Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NY2011
Sore Spots, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, SwedenHeydays, (Permanent Mosaic Installation) 86th St. & 4th Ave. Brooklyn Subway Station, MTA Arts for Transit, NY
2009
At the Lake, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CAVacationland, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Out in the Open, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
2007
Neighbors, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CABuried, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
2005
Stories, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL -
2017
Ethics of Depiction: Landscape, Still Life, Human, Oakland University Art Gallery, Rochester, MIAmerican Genre curated by Michelle Grabner, Institute of Contemporary Art - Maine College of Art , Portland, ME
Small, Purdy Hicks Gallery, South Kensington, London (July 7 - September 2)
Dallas Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016
EXPO Chicago, Richard Heller Gallery, Chicago, ILSeattle Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, Seattle, WA
Water|Bodies, Southampton Art Center, Southampton, NY
20th Anniversary Show, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, NY
2015
Disturbing Innocence, curated by Eric Fischl, The FLAG Art Foundation, NYSeven Deadly Sins: Lust, HVCCA, Peekskill, NY
Stirring Still (curated by Ioana Manolache and Maria Stabio), LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY
EXPO CHICAGO, Richard Heller Gallery, Chicago, IL
2013
The Armory Show, Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NYVolta New York, Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NY
Faux Life, Richard Heller Gallery, LA
Time Waits for Us, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm
2012
XS: Extra Small, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NYOtherworldly, MUba Eugene Leroy, Tourcoing, France
Frieze Art Fair, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London
2011
Otherworldly: Optical Delusions & Small Realties, Museum of Art & Design, New York, NYInvitational Exhibition of Visual Arts, American Academy of Arts & Letters, New York, NY
Exhibition of Work by Newly Elected Members and Recipients of Honors and Awards, American Academy of Arts & Letters, New York, NY
2010
Today is Yesterday Tomorrow, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, StockholmArt Basel, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Basel
Art Fair Tokyo, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
The Armory Show, Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NY
Landscape and Solitude, Kumukumu Gallery, New York, NY
2009
Frieze, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, London, UKThe Armory Show, Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NY
2007
LA in NY Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NYSize Matters: XS, HVCCA, Peekskill, NY
2006
Pulse Miami Art Fair Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CAThe Armory Show, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, New York, NY
LA Art Fair, Richard Heller Gallery, New York, NY
2005
The Gallery: Gallery Artists + Friends, Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm, SwedenSpike Gallery New York, NY
Something is Somewhere, Monya Rowe Gallery, New York, NY
Art Chicago International Art Fair, Chicago, IL
2004
Points of Muse, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL2003
Public Domain, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, ILThe Burbs, DFN Gallery, New York, NY
Space Invaders, Fish Tank Gallery, New York, NY
CAA Exhibit, Hunter College Art Gallery, New York, NY
2002
Ana 31, Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MTMFA Thesis Exhibition Oxford University, Oxford, England
Take Home a Nude, Sotheby’s, New York, NY
2000
Wood Memorial Millennium Biennial National Juried Competition, CT15th Annual National Works on Paper, Meadows Gallery, University of Texas, TX
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2016
David Pagel: Small Changes Every Day, Gallery Magazine (China), December 19Molly Enholm: Amy Bennett: “Small Changes Every Day” at Richard Heller Gallery, November 10
Ann-Christin Schubert, Something Will Happen, Art Online [Germany], Nov.
Shana Nys Dambrot, Amy Bennett: Small Changes Every Day at Richard Heller, Art and Cake, October 14
Megan St. Clair, Small Changes Every Day with Amy Bennett, ArtBlitzLA, Oct. 3
Leah Ollman: Are those model buildings or a painting? For artist Amy Bennett, the answer is both, Sep. 27
Juliet Helmke: Amy Bennett, Modern Painters, September
Zellen, Jody, Amy Bennett, Visual Art Source, Sept.
Eleanor Heartney: Amy Bennett-Small Changes Everyday, Black Dog Publishing
2015
Susan Hodara: Seven Museums, Each Offering a Deadly Sin, The New York Times, May 92014
Margherita Dessanay and Marc Valli: A Brush with the Real: Figurative Painting Today, London: Lawrence King PublishingMargaret McCann: The Figure: Painting Drawing, and Sculpture, New York: Skira Rizzoli
2011
Carol Kino: “A Peephole Perspective on Tiny Worlds,” The New York Times, June 9, p. 20Eduard M. Gomez: “Irresistible Illusions and Other Worlds,” Sculpture Magazine, Sept.
Goings on About Town: Art – “Otherworldly: Optical Delusions and Small Realities,” The New Yorker, July 25, p. 13
Carolina A. Miranda: “This Week: Must See Arts in the City: Otherworldly,” NPR, June 9-15
Ben Chapman: “Brooklyn Artist has Heart of Glass: Working on Mural for Subway Station,” NY Daily News, March 3
Henry Stewart: “The Artist on Her New R Train Mosaic and the Nabe that Inspired It,” The L Magazine, March 8
Harold Egein: “Subway Art Coming to 86th Street R Station, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Feb. 17
2010
Marc Valli: “Microworlds,” Elephant Magazine, Summer2009
Christopher Knight: “Amy Bennett at Richard Heller Gallery,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 22Alex Bec: “Amy Bennett,” It's Nice That, Issue #2, Oct.
Andrew Choate: “Amy Bennett ‘At the Lake’ at Richard Heller,” Art Ltd. Magazine, March
Ji-myeong Hwang: “In Studio: Amy Bennett,” Vogue Girl Korea, No. 92 Oct.
Hannah Sloan: “Amy Bennet: At the Lake,” THE Magazine, Feb/March
Nicole Pasulka: “At the Lake,” TheMorningNews.org, May 18
Susie Nadler: “New Paintings from Amy Bennett: Lakefront Series,” ApartmentTherapy.com, May 7
2007
Simon DeBurton: “Eight that could shake the world,” Financial Times, Sept. 29Camilla Hammarström: “The Smell of Snow,” Aftonbladet, Sept.
Joanna Persman: “Small Stories Become Disturbingly Real,” Svenska Dagbladet, Sept. 8
Anders Olofsson: “Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm: Amy Bennett,” konsten.net Sept.-Oct.
Jori Finkel: “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” Art + Auction, Apr. p.147
Holly Myers: “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 26, E27
Christopher Bedford: “Amy Bennett,” ArtForum.com, Jan.-Feb.
Nicole Pasulka: “Neighbors,” TheMorningNews.org, Jan. 22-29
Gregory Han: “The Gallery: Amy Bennett,” ApartmentTherapy.com, Jan. 9
Simon Sandall: Interview, www.readersvoice.com, Feb.
Stephanie Young: “Rear Window,” Vellum No. 5, June
Jenny Ziomek: “From a Distance,” NY Arts Magazine, March-April
2005
Margaret Hawkins: “Amy Bennett,” ARTnews, Sept.Margaret Hawkins: “Amy Bennett,” Chicago Sun-Times, Apr. 22
Joanne Hinkel: “Art Trips,” Centerstage Chicago, Apr. 18
2004
Lisa Skolnik: “The Art of Amy Bennett, Design & Architecture,” Chicago Edition, August, pp. 8, 10, 32-35Margaret Littman: “Ten Things to do this Weekend,” Crain’s Chicago Business Online, August
Benjamin Zoltak: “Can of Culture,” Centerstage Chicago Online, August
2003
Marcel Krenz, “Space Invaders: Six Painters & Two Sculptors Reconstruct Representation,” Contemporary, Issue 55“Up & Coming,” Brooklyn Free Press, May 2-8
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2015
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (Fine Arts)Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc.
2011
Rosenthal Family Foundation Award in PaintingAmerican Academy of Arts & Letters Purchase Award
2010
New York Foundation for the Arts FellowshipMarie Walsh Sharpe Studio Program 2010/11, Brooklyn, NY
2006
New York Foundation for the Arts / Deutsche Bank FellowshipSmack Mellon Studio Program, Brooklyn, NY
2004
Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant2003
Prince of Wales Scholarship to Normandy, FranceResearch Fellowship, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
1999
Felicia C. Miller Award for Artistic ExcellenceBarbara Podorowsky Memorial Award for Excellence in Painting
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Metropolitan Museum of Art