Trudy Benson Closer Than They Appear at LYLES&KING

James Kalm has been keeping an eye on the work of Trudy Benson from her very first show in New York. In Benson’s case, viewers have an opportunity to witness the development of this painters practice over nearly a decade.
With “Closer Than They Appear” her latest offering, the artist steps up the complexity of her compositions, while also weaving in an intriguing number of “levels” of space employing bruskly painted squares, rectangles, and circles. Warps and woofs of pigment vary their presence from illusion to material mater of factness, and entice viewers to attempt to mentally entangle the mesh. Benson is one of a few painters working today who has concentrates a major part of their work on exploring the “material of paint”. This program was recorded Sept. 6, 2018. Links to other Kalm Reports featuring Trudy Benson are below:
Trudy Benson at FREIGHT+VOLUME, Who's Afraid of Ornament at NURTURE ART
• Trudy Benson at FREIGH...
Trudy Benson "PAINT" at HORTON GALLERY
• Trudy Benson "PAINT" a...

[@robertbenson885]

Mr. Kalm, Thank you for your visit to the opening, thank you for the film, thank you for the thoughtful exploration of the pieces (and the wonderful close-ups), and thank you most of all for posting. I couldn't attend the opening and your photography revealed images and details totally missed when viewing the gallery's website. I, too, have been following this artist's work for some time, and this collection takes my breath away. Brava, Trudy!

[@jameskalmroughcut]

Thanks Robert for you effusive response. It's always gratifying to hear from viewers who have found these programs useful and enjoyable...JK

[@chriserskineartist]

Welcome back for season 14. A very big thank you to James and Kate

[@MikeWitmerNatureJournal]

Very enjoyable. How hard some painters work to make every inch of a surface come to life like this!

[@kamikazeyazzie]

My intro to Trudy Benson's work was the video you made of her show at Freight and Volume. I was a fan of hers after that video... And has it been 9 years already since you uploaded that video, I watched that video a week after you uploaded it, holy crap... Congrats on your 14th season. Keep it up, man.

[@singlespies]

James is back! Thanks for this one and looking forward to new videos.

[@robsmith588]

I like Trudy's work she has a great color sense that really shows close up. Thanks James only a Artist would show these details.

[@thirdrockjul2224]

Thank you Kate

[@almahdi990]

Those vibrant colours looks really great. Love the contrast and textures details. Thanks a lot for those close-up shots. Love from Bangladesh.

[@scrapart2492]

I am from New Delhi my wife Is very smelly.

[@hengzhu5174]

thank you for sharing!

[@chriserskineartist]

Love Trudy’s work. She has come so far since her school days. The block like foundation of spray paint is very different from her earlier work; more architecture inspired than computer screen inspired. Too bad you didn’t get a few words from her. You haven’t done a studio visit in some time, maybe you arrange a visit? Get an interview with Russell as well, 2 visits for the price of one :)))

[@jameskalm]

I did talk to Trudy just as they were closing the gallery, she was tired, and her voice was worn out from all the greeting she'd done...and she's bashful.

[@gavinyates9189]

Thank you cake, thank you everybody. Got to love the fluorescence, maybe she should use some glitter also.

[@davidhelsham2901]

This is very interesting stuff, it engages.

[@eatpanda118]

I love Benson's work, it is very cohesive and when you see it, her name comes to mind. very developed style, i'd like to see what she could do with figures, or branching out to into other painting styles, like Richter has done. Very colorful :)

[@charlestaylor6279]

Nah, that won't happen painting a figure is hard. Squares and circles are a piece of cake

[@nicolasabad7864]

Gunna catch the upcoming show at David Zwirner? “Endless Enigma” September 12.

[@popeyeisgood]

since when did sap green become an unusual color?

[@jameskalm]

Sap green isn't a pigment, it's more like a dye. It's made from the juice of berries, and has some unusual properties as a paint, but it's been used for centuries and, I guess is light fast(?)

[@charlestaylor6279]

Well at least her work's bright and cheerful !

[@cliffdariff74]

Is it just me? ... dare I say lots of these paintings look the same. A mish-mash of colors textures materials and paint alchemy... In the end what to we absorb?... What is the take-away? I can't say because it's not all that clear. However with that said, she is an accomplished and working artist... an inspiration. Thank you JK.

[@cliffdariff74]

@@artforartsake888 I disagree... if u break down these paintings, they may have structure, but no theme. They look good, colorful, nice designs, similar motifs.

[@raymondmgba7183]

I think, sometimes, some art doesn't have to be about something to absorb. I think some art is just something to look at have your emotions do a thing...whatever that thing is it is an experience peculiar to you witnessing that work at that particular time and sometimes that is enough. I also think the theme is a bit too repetitive in a way and the color combinations are quite nice. They gave me some wonderful ideas to play with.

[@calanives3270]

The paintings seem to relate to the sounds of the people talking.

[@scrapart2492]

Elaborate

[@meltdowngrfx969]

Bradley Walker Tomlin on steroids.

[@sonnycorbi1970]

Redundant -

[@scrapart2492]

Agreed .how can a artist paint the exact same shit. To me that's Only a wall ornament maker..

[@ziraprod6090]

This is terrible.