ON VIEW: Studio Visit with CJ Benninger is an online exhibition of exclusive new works on paper and wood panel.
CJ Benninger is an abstract painter working in spray paint and acrylic. His paintings embrace the explorative creative process and challenge the viewer’s perception of depth and space through geometric perspectives and color play. His latest series of work is comprised of imperfect patterns and shapes that intertwine and overlay one another.
This series of paintings involves various kinds of spray paint in each piece. Other paints and water are used sometimes to create depth and textures. The process of creating each piece involves some planning but is mostly intuitive.
Benninger sketches shapes beforehand, then everything is taped off without being marked to adjust as the final piece comes together. To begin, he selects a rough group of colors, which often changes drastically as each work evolves.
“As I’m creating, I let the painting inform me as to what direction it needs to go. The layering of each one continues until each piece feels complete.”
His compositions are representations of life and our attempt to navigate it- attempts at perfection that can never actually be reached, revealing unpredictability and moments that transpire along the way.
The meaning in each work is decided individually by the viewer, as each person’s own unique background informs what is in front of them.” – CJ Benninger
