Scott Benzel
Scott Benzel | |
---|---|
Scott Benzel, Mathesis and Mathematikoi, Mt. Wilson Observatory, 2017 | |
Born | 1968 |
Nationality | American |
Education | University of Arizona, BA 1995, California Institute of the Arts, M.F.A, 2001 |
Known for | contemporary art, performance art, sculpture, photography, and video art. |
Scott Benzel (born 1968 in Scottsdale, Arizona, lives and works in Los Angeles), is an American visual artist, performance artist, and composer.
Biography
Benzel was born in Scottsdale, Arizona and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He graduated from the University of Arizona after undergraduate work at California Institute of the Arts. In 1998, Benzel returned to California Institute of the Arts and received his MFA in 2001.
Work
Interested in the contradictions inherent in mythologized cultural histories, Benzel's work explores the processes and contradictions inherent in mass media systems of production alongside the development of collective cultural imaginations and identification.
Benzel's work has been shown or performed at The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, The Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis,[1] LAXART, Los Angeles, Maccarone, New York,[2] Various Small Fires, Los Angeles,[3] Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, Human Resources, Los Angeles, the Bard Center for Curatorial Studies,[4] The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (in collaboration with Sam Durant and Tom Recchion), Performa 09, New York (in collaboration with Mike Kelley) [5], Mandrake, Los Angeles, Art Basel, Miami, and Art Basel: Statements (in collaboration with Andrea Bowers).
Benzel collaborated with Mike Kelley on the scores and soundtracks to Kelley’s installations Day is Done at Gagosian Gallery, New York, Profondeurs Vertes at the Musee Louvre, Paris, and Kelley and Michael Smith’s A Voyage of Growth and Discovery at the Sculpture Center, New York and West of Rome, Los Angeles, and coproduced Judson Church Dances, a live performance of the music of Day is Done with Kelley at Judson Church for Performa 09, New York.
Mathesis and Mathematikoi, for string quartet, anvil, dancers, and telescope operator
Performed on the rotating deck of the 100 inch telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory, CA, part of Knowledges 2017 [6]
The Kouroi/The Society of Dilettanti, for string trio, experimental hardcore trio, voice, and live stream
Musical performance/lecture at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2017
Op. 21: Inner Experience Fellowship/Friends of Crime
Fitzpatrick/Leland House, MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles, and Desert Center (Composition I10 Mvmt IV (Dusk)) at the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA, and Desert Center, CA 2015
Split Chorale for Viljo Revell
Benzel collaborated with Kathryn Andrews on the performance for 300 choristers and video in Toronto City Hall, Toronto, ON, as part of Nuit Blanche, Toronto, 2014
(Threnody) A beginner’s guide to Mao Tse-Tung
Benzel was selected for inclusion in the first Los Angeles biennial, Made in L.A. 2012 at the Hammer Museum[7], 2012
Maldistribution
Benzel's solo show at Human Resources, Los Angeles, was selected by Artforum and Frieze magazines in their year-end Best of 2011 lists.[8][9]
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions and Performance
2018 V.I.T.R.I.O.L. Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles (upcoming)
2018 Torcat Tiqaucrat Mytics Ahtrae Acid Free, Blum and Poe, Los Angeles
2017 The Kouroi / The Society of Dilettanti J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
2017 Mathesis and Mathematikoi Mt. Wilson Observatory, CA, Knowledges 2017, curated by Christina Ondrus
2016 (Mayakovsky) for Instrumental Transcommunication, Voice, and Autotune Rainbow in Spanish, Los Angeles
2015 Op. 21: Inner Experience Fellowship/Friends of Crime MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles
2015 Desert Center (Composition I10 Mvmt IV (Dusk)) Palm Springs Art Museum, Desert Center, CA
2014 Various Small Fires, Los Angeles
2014 Los Angeles Contemporary Archive, Los Angeles
2014 Maccarone, New York
2013 LAAIR / The Traveller’s Companion Addenda Shanaynay, Paris
2013 “Scott Benzel” and What does Possession Mean to You? Human Resources, Los Angeles
2013 …plays selections from… Dem Passwords, Los Angeles
2013 W.W.A.R./ Die Dritte Generation Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Los Angeles
2012 The Academy / The Chthonic at Eleusis Public Fiction, Los Angeles
2012 (Threnody) A beginner’s guide to Mao Tse-Tung Made in LA 2012, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
2012 Funhouse after the Penultimate Sequence of The Lady from Shanghai Ball of Artists, LAXART/Hammer
2012 Recombinant Folk History and Non-genre I Black Box, curated by Liz Glynn, Pacific Standard Time, Los Angeles
2011 Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Front Room
2011 Maldistribution Human Resources at Cottage Home, Los Angeles
2011 Concentric Circles (before and after David Smith) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
2010 sound. series concert at King’s Road Park, commission by SASSAS, Los Angeles
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018 #followme Desert Center, Los Angeles, organized by Michael Slenzke
2018 Home Bodies, Away Teams UMOCA Salt Lake City, UT, organized by Earl Gravy
2017 Imagining Tellus 28 Harvestworks, New York, curated by Tom Leeser
2017 Ours is a City of Writers Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, selected by John Tain
2016 Nostalgia for the Present: Two Years of LACA Los Angeles Contemporary Archive, curated by Eli Diner
2014 Golden State Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, curated by Drew Heitzler, Tucson, AZ
2014 “And yes, I even remember you.” Aran Cravey, Los Angeles, curated by Eric Kim
2013 “Would you ever Write a Tract?” Autocenter, Berlin, curated by Marcel Dickhage and Daniel Horn
2013 The Stand In Public Fiction, Los Angeles, curated by Alexandra Gaty and Lauren Mackler
2013 In the Good Name of the Company For Your Art, Los Angeles, curated by Jan Tumlir, Brian Roettinger, Christopher Michlig
2012 An Homage to Mike Kelley presented by Gagosian Gallery, MOMA PS1, New York
2012 Venice Beach Biennial with Mark Hagen, curated by Ali Subotnick, Venice, CA
2012 Print Imprint Actual Size and Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles
2010 Endless Bummer/Surf Elsewhere Blum and Poe, Los Angeles, curated by Drew Heitzler
Selected Collaborations
2014 Split Chorale for Viljo Revell with Kathryn Andrews, Nuit Blanche, Toronto, CN
2013 Part-Objects with Anita Pace, Perform Chinatown, Los Angeles
2012 A|D with Liz Glynn, also with Corey Fogel, Giles Miller, Public Fiction, Los Angeles
2012 Venice Beach Biennial with Mark Hagen, curated by Ali Subotnick, Venice, CA
2009 Judson Church Horse Dances Co-composer, Producer, with Mike Kelley, Performa 09, New York
2009 Destroy All Monsters at ”A Fantastic World Superimposed on Reality” Gramercy Theatre, Performa 09, New York
2009 A Voyage of Growth and Discovery Original Score Co-composer with Mike Kelley, Sculpture Center, New York
2006 Profondeurs Vertes Original Score Co-Composer with Mike Kelley, Musee Louvre, Paris
2005 Day is Done Original Score Co-Composer with Mike Kelley, Gagosian, New York
2004 Destroy All Monsters at ”All Tommorrow’s Parties” curated by Jake and Dinos Chapman, Camber Sands, UK
2004 Into the Sun Live Performance w/Sam Durant and Tom Recchion, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
2001 Democracy’s Body Original Score Composer for Andrea Bowers exhibition, Art Basel Statements, Basel, Switzerland
Musical Work
Benzel's performances often incorporate live musicians performing his original compositions. Since 2017, he has been employing limited AI, Machine Learning, and generative algorithmic platforms as part of the composition process. Live performances of compositions include Torcat Tiqaucrat Mytics Ahtrae Blum and Poe, Los Angeles, 2018Mathesis and Mathematikoi, for string quartet, anvil, dancers, and telescope operator, at Mt. Wilson Observatory, Knowledges 2017 [10],The Kouroi/The Society of Dilettani, for string trio, experimental punk trio, voice, and live stream, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2017, Op. 21: Inner Experience Fellowship/Friends of Crime, at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles, 2015, Desert Center (Composition I10 Mvmt IV (Dusk)), at the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA, and Desert Center, CA, 2015, and Split Chorale for Viljo Revell for 300 voices, at Toronto City Hall, Nuit Blanche, Toronto, ON, 2014
In 2012 Benzel curated (in conjunction with SASSAS) Welcome Inn Time Machine, part of the Pacific Standard TIme Performance Festival[11][12] and Tape Music: .sound at the Schindler House.[13] Both shows presented historical and contemporary experimental musical works in unusual settings.
Musical projects have included Destroy All Monsters, the band led by American artist Mike Kelley and Machines of Loving Grace.
In 2009, Benzel released Blak Bloc, a composition for string quartet and guitar feedback and synthesizer, chosen by Artforum magazine as a Best of 2009: Music.[14]
In addition to production and remix work with The Red Krayola, Destroy All Monsters, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Lucinda Williams, Boss Hog, , , and various others, Benzel has produced albums for Fat Possum Records, Plug Research in Los Angeles.[15]
Teaching
Benzel is a member of the faculty of California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA. He previously taught at University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, and California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA.
Benzel has lectured or held seminars at Escuela Incierta, Cali Colombia, 2018, Claremont College, Claremont, CA, 2014, and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 2012
References
- ^ "Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Front Room, Scott Benzel".
- ^ "Maccarone, New York".
- ^ "Various Small Fires, Los Angeles, Scott Benzel".
- ^ "Bard Center for Curatorial Studies, Scott Benzel".
- ^ "Roberta Smith, Performa 09: Mike Kelley's Extracurricular Activity", The New York Times,2009".
- ^ "Kholti, Hedi El, Frieze, Bad and Good times in L.A., a year of protest and performance in Los Angeles, 2017".
- ^ "Made in L.A. 2012, Hammer Museum".
- ^ "Holte, Michael Ned, Artforum Best of 2011:Scott Benzel, December, 2011" (PDF).
- ^ "Griffin, Jonathan, Frieze Best of 2011". Archived from the original on 2014-09-10.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Kholti, Hedi El, Frieze, Bad and Good times in L.A., a year of protest and performance in Los Angeles, 2017".
- ^ "Welcome Inn Time Machine, Pacific Standard Time". Archived from the original on 2015-01-15.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Swed, Mark, John Cage in a Motel Room as Part of PST, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2012".
- ^ "Tape Music: .sound at the Schindler House".
- ^ "Prina, Stephen, Artforum: Best of 2009: Music: Scott Benzel Blak Bloc', Dec. 2009".
- ^ All Music Guide Archived 2009-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- [1] Artist's Website
- [2] Artist's Tumblr
- [3] Frieze Bad and Good Times in L.A. 2018
- [4] Artinfo/Modern Painters Feature 2015
- [5] Flash Art Maccarone 2014 Review
- [6] Art in America Maccarone 2014 Review
- [7] ArtReview Review 2011
- [8] Artforum Review 2011
- Scott Benzel at IMDb
- [9] with Mike Kelley
- [10] Numero Deux Recordings
- [11] Technoscience and the Avant-Garde, Journal of Aesthetics and Protest, Vol.1 Number 1, 2002