Benjamin Brandes

Artist Statement

Benjamin Brandes

Creating something out of pure inspiration in a moment before all the questions have been
answered is the space I search for during the watch hour of the wee hours of the morning. A
chance for the hands of my imagination to get way down the path of the creative process before my conscious mind begins its journey towards knowing why or what it is.

I can be moved at any point in the day to dive completely into painting, music, music videos,
sculpture, black and white surreal digital shorts or photography, hunting for discarded surfaces to intricately or savagely mar with homemade sharp objects to reveal the light within. I love to help things become something beyond or adjacent to their intended purpose, just as they do for me.

I have promised myself that this is the only life for me. To never turn my back on my
imagination. To dance with the randomness of life. To alchemize my paralyzing darkness into
weightless motion and creative flow. To always invite the impossible in when the possible has
hit its inevitable wall.

My body of work follows many different paths. I am fully committed to all of them. For so many reasons.

I have been fortunate enough to have sold my work privately and in galleries. The connection with others through something that I mean with every square inch of the fabric of my soul, is an absolutely overwhelming situation. The work itself feels honoured to have found its way into the lives of others, for my process is only one stop along the way.

Don’t be afraid to let the strange in. If it doesn’t make sense, get even more curious. It is usually speaking a language — up until this point — never heard.