Amy Bennett‘s “Nuclear Family” is a poignant painting series that delves into the intricacies of domestic life. Through her work, Bennett explores the themes of marriage, parenting, and the female identity within the context of the suburban American landscape. Her paintings are known for their small-scale yet finely detailed canvases, which capture the serene and often overlooked moments of everyday life.
Bennett’s technique involves creating three-dimensional models as a reference, allowing her to control lighting and perspective meticulously. This method results in a unique blend of realism and artifice, inviting viewers to reflect on the stillness and vulnerability of familial relationships. The series has been exhibited in various galleries and has received critical acclaim for its honest and thought-provoking portrayal of family dynamics.
For each painting, I created a 3D model to serve as a still life. Painting from models helps me to process and extract bits of my experience in order to make what is imagined more concrete. The model becomes a stage on which I develop narratives, and offers me complete control over lighting, composition, and vantage point to achieve my desired dramatic effect. The clumsy inadequacies of miniatures with their slight shifts of scale and reduced detail help me to convey a sense of artifice and distance. I try to paint the scenes in a way that feels like a believable but alternate, fabricated world. My paintings are representations of a miniaturized world playing at reality.
Amy Bennett
More info: Website, Instagram (h/t: Booooooom).
