This is my grey matter.
Artist Statement
I am a book artist, whose work is a form of sculpture. My pieces explore the intersection of form and material, creating unique stories which map our current place in time. I analyze the traces we leave behind, whether physical or intangible. Using these elements, I focus on stillness, as chaos is never in short supply.
The visual elements of my work are integral to the narrative, and in the absence of text, they stand out. My work is characterized by a cadence modeled throughout my pieces, with a repetition of lines and a tonal color scheme. Layers, transparencies, and textures engage the viewer while serving a structural function. As with sculpture the best way to experience my work is by handling it, as it calls viewers to look at all perspectives and quietly examine their own present place in time.
Bio
Mel Benkert (she/them) is a book artist living in St. Paul, MN. Born in rural Michigan, they have a background in metal and wood fabrication which often influences their work. They examine how we, as a people, define 'place' and how time changes our perception.
Mel’s formative years were spent studying art at community and private secondary schools in Michigan and Minnesota. It was at College of Visual Arts (CVA) where they discovered sculpture under mentor, Jen Richardson-Greene, and participated in Lynda Monick-Isenberg’s teaching artists’ practicum pilot. Following undergraduate school, they interned at Franconia sculpture park in Shafer, MN and worked for public art sculptor, Stanton Sears. Mel spent the next several years developing and teaching art, post-secondary preparatory, and technology curriculum at alternative high schools in Minneapolis, MN.
Since 2003, Mel has exhibited at No Name Exhibitions @ the Soap Factory, Intermedia Arts, and local art galleries in the Twin Cities. Their work is held at Hennepin County Library’s Special Collections and with private collectors. Mel has been teaching at the Eagan Art House for over 18 years and is a 2023 Studio Fellow at Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
