In my work, a doll, the object of a little girl's affection and idealization, is transformed into humanesque form. It is infused with it's own personal voice and a complex endowment of emotions and personality. The contrast between innocence and sexuality is portrayed in a way that is both whimsical and disconcerting, hinting at the fleeting passage of time. The influence both of Balthus's eroticized portrayals of prepubescent girls and the incongruous mysticism surrounding the constructions and assemblages of surrealist Joseph Cornell are echoed throughout my art.

Autobiographical in nature, the visual vocabulary I utilize expresses an inner dialogue between the eyes of my unique childhood experiences and the universal nature of innocence and purity associated with childhood in general. The viewer is presented with a secret passageway through which he may experience his own childhood memories and emotions.

I build miniature interiors that are illuminated by the melancholy characteristic of softly diffused cool northern light. My intention is to create a dreamy and fairy-tale like atmosphere that enables a harmonious marriage between subject matter and form.
More specifically, I use antique dolls to paradoxically elicit a sense of nostalgia coupled with subversive sentimentality.

I only work from life because this process facilitates a spontaneous emotional connection with my subject matter. In addition, working on a variety of paintings allows me to build surface texture and form and in my assemblage sculptures (using found objects, collage and antique paraphernalia) allows me to solidify design and sub-conscious intent.

My vision for still life painting using narrative is to present the inanimate and reincarnate it with a subjectified personification of self. Oftentimes, I am surprised when the random placement of objects is in fact a consequence of unconscious decisions motivating these "deceiving little accidents".

Rachel Bensimon