Studies of light, shadow and time projected on the wall of the artist’s studio in the art department at Scots College, photographed in 2017 (2019)
6 Giclée Prints on 260gsm Epson Lustre, each 110.5 x 170mm, encased within unique pōhutukawa frame, 500 x 1380mm, signed and dated by the artist on verso
Studies of light, shadow and time projected on the wall of the artist’s studio in the art department at Scots College, photographed in 2017 (2019) is Benji’s response to having been commissioned by the College to create an artwork to exist in the front reception. This work acknowledges contextual resonances and conceptual interests of the artist during his final year at Scots.
Graduating in 2017, Benji spent this year experimenting with a range of photographic processes whilst producing work towards his scholarship photographic series Time, Existence, Ephemerality (2017), for which Benji received NZQA’s Top Scholar in Photography. This personal and philosophical exploration of the expression of time inspired the artist to observe and document sequential passages of changing form, with the passing of time.
The photographs displayed in this artwork depict the changing nature of a pōhutukawa shadow on the wall of the side storeroom of Mr Jarry’s art class, which the artist employed as his studio, spending afternoons after school until night time. It was during these few months when Benji learnt to develop black and white film, with the aid of Mr Nelson. These six photographs are from the artist’s first roll of developed negatives. Benji is interested in imbuing certain conceptual elements of his life in the decisions of the physical manifestation of photographic works: the dimension of each print in length is exactly 17cm, referring to the year ’17, Benji’s final year at the College; the accumulated dimensions of the five spaces between each photograph is 100mm, representing the Centennial of the school; as well as the nature, creation and scale of the pōhutukawa frame having resonance with the school. Benji regards the pōhutukawa tree as being a symbolic association with Scots College and his time there, considering their presence in multiple places within the grounds, as well as the avenue along Monorgan Road (where the tree of which shadow is photographed in this artwork exists). Benji engaged his former graphics teacher, Mr Santure (2012-2016) to source and create the pōhutukawa moulding of the frame. His time and craftmanship is acknowledged with gratitude and is recognised as part of the artwork. The length of the frame is the exact length of Benji’s writing desk that was gifted to him by his parents on occasion of his first year at the College, and was used for almost every assignment and writing.
Studies of light, shadow and time projected on the wall of the artist’s studio in the art department at Scots College, photographed in 2017 (2019) is at once photographic, sculptural, collaborative, conceptual, and representative of the artist’s final year at Scots College; an accumulation of the five years Benji spent at the school which is recognised fondly by him as having inspired the trajectory of his life as an artist.
Benji Hartfield is a multidisciplinary artist currently working from his studio in Island Bay. Along with his two photographic projects: Time, Existence, Ephemerality (2017) and School (2017), other artworks realised during his time at Scots College include: An introductory exploration of postmodernism and the theoretical ideologies examined in artworks (August, September 2017), Untitled. Postmodernism Essay (November 2017), 22 Found Pencils in Cigarette Packet (2017), The Digital Age and the Concern of Self Image (2017), Immediate Self Image Through a Projected Medium (2017) and Benji Hartfield: Art Student (2017)
Studies of light, shadow and time projected on the wall of the artist’s studio in the art department at Scots College, photographed in 2017 (2019)
6 Giclée Prints on 260gsm Epson Lustre, each 110.5 x 170mm, encased within unique pōhutukawa frame, 500 x 1380mm, signed and dated by the artist on verso
Studies of light, shadow and time projected on the wall of the artist’s studio in the art department at Scots College, photographed in 2017 (2019) is Benji’s response to having been commissioned by the College to create an artwork to exist in the front reception. This work acknowledges contextual resonances and conceptual interests of the artist during his final year at Scots.
Graduating in 2017, Benji spent this year experimenting with a range of photographic processes whilst producing work towards his scholarship photographic series Time, Existence, Ephemerality (2017), for which Benji received NZQA’s Top Scholar in Photography. This personal and philosophical exploration of the expression of time inspired the artist to observe and document sequential passages of changing form, with the passing of time.
The photographs displayed in this artwork depict the changing nature of a pōhutukawa shadow on the wall of the side storeroom of Mr Jarry’s art class, which the artist employed as his studio, spending afternoons after school until night time. It was during these few months when Benji learnt to develop black and white film, with the aid of Mr Nelson. These six photographs are from the artist’s first roll of developed negatives. Benji is interested in imbuing certain conceptual elements of his life in the decisions of the physical manifestation of photographic works: the dimension of each print in length is exactly 17cm, referring to the year ’17, Benji’s final year at the College; the accumulated dimensions of the five spaces between each photograph is 100mm, representing the Centennial of the school; as well as the nature, creation and scale of the pōhutukawa frame having resonance with the school. Benji regards the pōhutukawa tree as being a symbolic association with Scots College and his time there, considering their presence in multiple places within the grounds, as well as the avenue along Monorgan Road (where the tree of which shadow is photographed in this artwork exists). Benji engaged his former graphics teacher, Mr Santure (2012-2016) to source and create the pōhutukawa moulding of the frame. His time and craftmanship is acknowledged with gratitude and is recognised as part of the artwork. The length of the frame is the exact length of Benji’s writing desk that was gifted to him by his parents on occasion of his first year at the College, and was used for almost every assignment and writing.
Studies of light, shadow and time projected on the wall of the artist’s studio in the art department at Scots College, photographed in 2017 (2019) is at once photographic, sculptural, collaborative, conceptual, and representative of the artist’s final year at Scots College; an accumulation of the five years Benji spent at the school which is recognised fondly by him as having inspired the trajectory of his life as an artist.
Benji Hartfield is a multidisciplinary artist currently working from his studio in Island Bay. Along with his two photographic projects: Time, Existence, Ephemerality (2017) and School (2017), other artworks realised during his time at Scots College include: An introductory exploration of postmodernism and the theoretical ideologies examined in artworks (August, September 2017), Untitled. Postmodernism Essay (November 2017), 22 Found Pencils in Cigarette Packet (2017), The Digital Age and the Concern of Self Image (2017), Immediate Self Image Through a Projected Medium (2017) and Benji Hartfield: Art Student (2017)
