Meet Sammy Bennett | Artist and Gallery owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sammy Bennett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sammy, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking is a necessary part of being an artist. Every day you must make strategic decisions about your studio practice and career. There are no guarantees in any career you go into and when I decided I wanted to be an artist it felt like I was taking a huge chance. I’m still gambling every time I turn down work and instead choose to be in the studio.

In the studio risk plays an important role of pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. It’s all about having one foot planted in what you know while the other foot is taking a step into darkness, reaching for solid ground in the unknown. Those moments of uncertainty in my paintings are where I feel most stimulated. Surprises come in the form of material slippage, when I’m able to transform a stained piece of fabric into something recognizable. When artist stop taking risks, that is when the work becomes stale and repetitive. As Mss.. Frizzle would say, “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an artist and curator who is always dabbling with the materials and spaces around me. I employ a textile based collage method using found, built and printed elements that document my lived experiences in the city. The work references surrounding neighborhoods Iv’e wandered through and apartments Iv’e inhabited. These settings represent an abstract portrait of myself. Parks, bedrooms, and sidewalks littered with shoes, plants, and poloroids become a stage for melodramas to play out. This assortment of scavenged consumer products tap into a shared collective memory and when mixed with my own personal artifacts, allows my identity to become absorbed into the debris as another commodity. The underlying narratives of these melodramas in seemingly banal spaces are recognitions to everyday life as a constant struggle.

Along with being an artist, I run an apartment gallery called BOB’S. It’s named after the tenant, my dear friend Robert Laine who is an actor/writer that has lived in the city for the past twenty years.He is the soul of the gallery.Each show adds to the space in a different way and I’m thankful for everyone who participates and volunteers their time. Over the past year and a half it has slowly been transforming and I feel I’m just here to guide it along. It’s a passion project that I’m having responsible fun with,

Where I come from is what sets me apart. I grew up living in the middle of no where Michigan and you really had to work with what you had. What do you do when you can’t throw money at a problem? You gotta learn to be resourceful and make it work. That DIY attitude along with a healthy work ethic allows me to overcome challenging moments in my life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Walk over one of the many bridges in NYC and down by the rivers go to a museum
check out some local galleries
go to chinatown and get some dumplings
hit a dive bar in Bushwick for a shot and a beer

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The support of my family and immediate friends is a resounding pillar that I continue to pull strength from. To name a few, Weihui Lu, Jordan Segal, Isis Davis-Marks, Karen Flatow, Kat Ryals, Carl D’Alvia and Jack Arthur Wood. These are all people apart of my artist community who continue to inspire me.

Website: http://sammybennett.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammy_bennett1/?hl=en

Other: https://bobsgallery.org