Denita Benyshek - Artist's Statement

I CREATE BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS THAT PROVIDE A WINDOW FOR VIEWING THE SOUL AND THE GREAT SOUL OF ALL NATURE AROUND US AND WITHIN US, THROUGH WHICH WE ARE TOGETHER TRAVELING.

My paintings developed outside mainstream contemporary art during the 14 years I taught in the bush villages of Alaska. Within this sanctuary, I traveled into the frontier of my psyche.

The native societies were remarkably akin to the culture of my childhood. Born of Czech immigrants in Kansas, I inherited the farmer-close relationship with nature. My Slavic roots deepened while I was the visiting artist at the College of Folk Arts and Culture in Pskov, Russia. Many Slavic artists synthesize folk beliefs and art into their fine art creations.

The Slavic perception of reality is richly layered. Magic, fantasy, visions, and dreams are seamlessly interwoven with sensate reality within the liminal space between conscious and unconscious. Nonlinear time, reverie provoking discontinuous space, intuitively combined pictorial elements, and a belief in the transcendent power of beauty - all typical of much Slavic art and my own creations. Many artworks are inspired by visions or dreams. These layers of reality and meaning are echoed in my choice of media such as reverse-painted and engraved glass, collage, and mirrors.

In reverse-painting, the sheet of glass lies face down on a table and paint is applied on its back. Details that will appear closest are painted first. Glass maginifies the actual physical distance between paint glazes. Colors acquire a jewel-like brilliance. Several artworks incorporate mirrors. The reflection integrates the image of the onlooker. The "invisibility" of glass supports numinous subjects because, without apparent foundation, the paint appears to float mysteriously in space.

By holding a mirror up to multiple relationships, "eye" invite you to reflect upon your own layered reality.