{"id":2007,"date":"2026-03-16T03:28:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T03:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/?page_id=2007"},"modified":"2026-03-16T03:28:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T03:28:56","slug":"e2-1-michelle-benoit","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/e2-1-%e7%b1%b3%e6%ad%87%e5%b0%94%c2%b7%e8%b4%9d%e5%8a%aa%e7%93%a6%ef%bc%88michelle-benoit%ef%bc%89\/","title":{"rendered":"E2-1. Michelle Benoit"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/40b27f3456d657f653b1f5794824ac53.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1347\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7980049875311721;width:427px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/40b27f3456d657f653b1f5794824ac53.jpg 399w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/40b27f3456d657f653b1f5794824ac53-239x300.jpg 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michelle Benoit&#039;s work achieves a kind of &quot;color archaeology&quot; that lies between painting, sculpture, and installation through the layering of transparent synthetic materials and recycled wood. Her methods resonate deeply with Arthur Dorval&#039;s transparent layering on both physical and spiritual levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creative methods: Material archaeology and the reverse construction of color<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beno\u00eet&#039;s creative method is not a simple layering of colors, but a kind of excavation and recombination of the &quot;memory&quot; of materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reverse Painting &amp; Layering:<\/strong> Beno\u00eet&#039;s core technique involves painting on the back of a transparent Lucite (high-quality acrylic resin). This method breaks down the traditional concept of &quot;surface&quot; in painting. By applying paint to the back of the transparent medium, light must pass through the resin layer to reach the color and reflect back to the viewer. This physical path increases the &quot;thickness&quot; and &quot;internal sheen&quot; of the color, making the color blocks appear as if they have &quot;hatched&quot; from within the material.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Construction of physical depth:<\/strong> Beno\u00eet doesn&#039;t rely on perspective to create depth, but rather on real physical layering. She layers multiple Lucite blocks, each painted in reverse, carrying different colors and translucencies. This technique makes the final colors of the work the result of multiple layers of filters. When viewed from the side, the &quot;geological layers&quot; of color are clearly visible, a method that embodies the sense of time as physical depth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modular Reconstruction of Geometric Fragments:<\/strong> Her compositions are often pieced together from many small geometric units. The size of these units is usually limited by the size of the recycled wood she collects. This approach turns artistic creation into a &quot;puzzle-solving&quot; process: how to arrange these transparent, colored modules within a limited physical framework.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/west1.jpg 2010w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stylistic characteristics: Lightweight minimalism and flowing color palette<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beno\u00eet&#039;s style presents a light, ethereal, and highly contemplative aesthetic, as if light has been frozen in an instant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Luminosity and color diffusion:<\/strong> Due to the multiple reflections and refractions of light within the transparent Lucite layer, Beno\u00eet&#039;s works possess an illusion of self-illumination. This characteristic makes her geometric blocks appear no longer as cold, lifeless plastic, but rather as &quot;containers&quot; that capture light. The edges of the colors appear soft and diffused under the refraction of the transparent material, a feature that breaks down the rigidity of hard-edged abstraction and endows the works with a sensory quality similar to natural light.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A Dialogue of Materials: Industrial vs. Natural<\/strong> Beno\u00eet&#039;s style is characterized by contrast. She often combines the glossy, transparent industrial Lucite with rough, historically-marked recycled wood (such as antique building components). This stylistic feature explores the tension between modern synthetic materials and naturally weathered materials, suggesting an interaction between human history and the technological future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The variability of perspective:<\/strong> Her style changes dramatically as the viewer moves. From the front, it appears as a flat geometric collage, while from the side, it transforms into a complex optical refraction. This stylistic feature emphasizes the immediacy of perception; the work is no longer a fixed image, but a &quot;visual event&quot; that flows with light and position.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"974\" src=\"https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5502_master.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2009\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7885062496274069;width:524px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5502_master.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5502_master-600x761.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/arttao.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5502_master-237x300.jpeg 237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Materials used: Symbiosis of recycled wood and synthetic resins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benoit demonstrates a strong environmental awareness and respect for material history in its use of materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lucite (Polymethyl methacrylate):<\/strong> This is her primary color carrier. She chose this material because of its exceptional optical transparency. By hand-polishing the edges of Lucite, she gave the material&#039;s facets an icy texture. The use of this material perfectly blends &quot;artificial light&quot; with &quot;natural color.&quot;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reclaimed architectural wood:<\/strong> Beno\u00eet often sources timber, such as Douglas fir, from the demolition of old construction sites. She preserves the cracks, nail holes, and weathering marks on the wood&#039;s surface. This use of material anchors her work in a specific historical narrative, creating a striking sensory contrast with Lucite&#039;s perfectly smooth finish. The wood is not merely a structural support but also exists as a &quot;witness to time.&quot;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High-saturation enamel and acrylic paint:<\/strong> On the reverse side of Lucite, she used highly saturated pigments. These materials were applied very evenly to ensure the purity of the color when light shines through. By controlling the thickness of the pigments, she achieved a delicate transition from fully transparent to semi-transparent to fully opaque.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u7c73\u6b47\u5c14\u00b7\u8d1d\u52aa\u74e6\uff08Michelle Benoit\uff09\u7684\u4f5c\u54c1\u901a\u8fc7\u5bf9\u900f\u660e\u5408\u6210\u6750\u6599\u4e0e\u56de\u6536\u6728\u6750\u7684\u5c42\u53e0\uff0c\u5b9e\u73b0\u4e86\u4e00\u79cd\u4ecb\u4e8e\u7ed8\u753b\u3001 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2007","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2007"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2010,"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2007\/revisions\/2010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arttao.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}