Like Dust Settling in a Dim-Lit Room (Or Starless Forest) by Jake Benzinger
• Fall 2023
• 2nd Edition of 50
• 56 pages
• 6 x 7.75”
• Perfect bound, hard cover, self-published monograph
• $40

Fraction: Thanks for sharing your book, Jake! Can you tell us a bit about the project and the evolution of the book?

Jake Benzinger : Sure! The project began in late 2021 during my junior year of undergrad, and from there developed into my thesis. It originated under the title of Flora, with its roots based on experiences of loss and fear, and how in response, I developed a deep connection to nature. 

I moved to the Boston area right before my sophomore year of college, and during the pandemic. Shortly after, I was mugged about a block away from where I was living. At first, it didn’t affect me much, however, a few months later I began to process the experience more and more, seeing its effect on me as it altered my way of living.

These thoughts and emotions translated into my practice, leading to an investigation of my relationship with plant life and nature, which I found immense solace in. On top of that, I had already been focused on ideas of the domestic, found family, and identity. So as my work grew, the themes began to become interwoven, and I became fixated on constructing a liminal world that explored my psyche. 

The world I was building through photography became an act of healing. I felt incredibly limited in terms of where I felt comfortable and safe shooting, and at what time of day I went out. So for the first year and a half or so, almost all of my images were either made in my basement-level apartment or in a nearby parking lot. I’d say those photos make up about 60-70% of the project.

The constraints I was working with forced me to think outside the box, and eventually, the desire to expand the breadth of where I was shooting. This pushed me to begin working through the trauma I had developed from being mugged, and gave me the courage to take steps outside my comfort zone and explore at night, and in new places. 

From there, the work conceptually came into what it is now. Where the specificity of place and people are not important, the locations are weaved together through sequencing and aesthetics, crafting a world of my own, somewhere between reality and dreamscape. The people and plant life that populate the world are at times stand-ins for myself, and others are present to build atmosphere or help in creating a sense of eeriness in the landscape.

F: I love the small, intimate size of the book. The smaller size combined with the sequence and pace create a very thoughtful, reflective experience for the viewer. How were you approaching the design elements of the book in relation to the content?

JB: Thank you, the sequence may have been the aspect I sunk the most time into, so I really appreciate that! 

As I’ve developed and grown as an artist, navigating tension through image sequencing has become one of my biggest fascinations. Since many of the images in the project are focused more on creating atmosphere rather than using specific subject matter to create narrative, I try to be very intentional with every decision.

I approach controlling tension and pacing through diptychs, moments of pause with text, playing with various image sizing, etc. I don’t necessarily have a science behind it; a lot of my decision-making goes off gut feeling. If I feel an iteration of the sequence loses its grip on me, releasing me from my sense of immersion, then I know it needs to be revisited. It’s a constant push and pull of tension, and if it ever falls flat, plateaus, or goes too far in one direction of intensity, then it isn’t working in the way I’d like it to.

Music is really important to me in the sequencing process. It’s maybe my biggest source of inspiration, even in terms of informing my image-making, but for sequencing, the albums/songs that I drew from were also what judged its effectiveness. (Weyes Blood, Cocteau Twins, Frank Ocean, and Black Country, New Road were some of the most influential artists while making this work.) I studied how they navigate tension in full albums or tracks and how both can create an immersive atmosphere, conjuring up countless emotions and memories, creating a sense of place, and transporting listeners into another world. Feeling out whether or not my work was functioning in a similar way was a major part of the iterative process.

F: How has seeing your work in this format differed from seeing it exhibited in galleries or in other formats?

JB: I was working on the installation and book simultaneously, so there was a constant conversation between the two that helped each evolve and grow. I was incredibly fortunate to have had an enormous gallery space for my thesis show, so I was able to have it fully realized and install the project in its entirety.

Each form worked to create a similar experience, but there are major differences between experiencing it in a 3-dimensional gallery setting vs. a book format. For one, a book has an inherent linearity to it, and approaching it using very traditional design philosophies, spreads are limited to having a single image or a diptych. Viewers also typically experience the work flipping from front to back. However, those limitations were not present in the gallery space where I installed.

I had space for major jumps in scale, more than 2 images in view at once, installing work staggered and not in a straight line, using multiple walls that forced viewers to walk around, etc. They’re so incredibly different but equally as exciting and fun to approach! 

I put in a lot of effort to try and craft an experience that was similar whether you saw the book or gallery installation. I’m really happy with how they ended up, and am incredibly excited for what’s next! I learned so much through the process and am eager to apply it to my next body of work. I really want to get a little weird with design, rather than sticking to the more traditional approach I took here!

F: The book is gorgeous. I’d love to know more about the challenges and successes of self-publishing. I know many artists are curious about what is involved in undertaking a self-published book. 

JB: I was fortunate enough to work with some of the most incredible people and artists in my undergrad, and am beyond grateful for the experience. I would not be anywhere close to where I am now without them all. 

With their help and support, I made several copies of a handmade, hardcover edition of the project. However, I set a goal for myself to create a larger edition, which at the time wasn’t sustainable if they were handmade. So, I ended up getting them made through Conveyor Studios. With the iterations I had made on my own, I found it incredibly easy to translate that into the inDesign files I sent over to them. I had already designed the book front to back and seen what it was like as an object, so I knew exactly what I wanted.

I’m also fortunate enough to have a really amazing support system and have sold out of the first edition within only a couple months, which I could have never expected. I have a second edition on the way and arriving soon! I think visiting art/book fairs are really great as well, and am excited to bring copies of the second edition with me to some soon.

F: Thank you for sharing your great project and book, Jake!