CHRISTINE BENKERT

Christine Benkert had a successful career in advertising photography, where the images needed to strike hard and fast with saturated colors and vertical formats. Today, her work remains meticulous – photographing with tripod and  “intent”, and often taking hours to compose. But she is clear that she isn’t “shooting” or “capturing” or “taking” anything: Christine is image-making. 

Inspired by the work of Agnes Martin and Johnnie Winona Ross, Christine’s photography has gained “breathability” and brings a sense of peace. Reflecting on her inspirations, she writes, “Horizontal lines and a square canvas have a centering effect that potentially allow a viewer to rest in the work, to rest ‘by a stream’, as I think Ms. Martin put it. Winona Ross has a similar effect for me with the addition of layers, which again lead me to a centering of soul.”

Christine’s home is her studio, her studio her home. They are light and bright and allow her to see forever. She has never found a need to separate home and studio, for her art lives in her.

“Photography is feeling for me. It’s an expression of my internal and external experience. Camera, darkroom or computer, the essence remains in the feeling.”