About

Artist Statement

Starting in 2011, I embarked on the telling of a story. It began with prints inspired by my interest in the abandoned forests surrounding Chernobyl, where humans are now forbidden. From there, the story in my prints and drawings became a post-human Watership Down, where irradiated rabbits are the protagonists. It became the subject of a live production at In the Heart of the Beast Theater in 2013.

What you see are imaginings of plant life, which belong to that world. The flowers are at once beautiful and fragile, but also very much of danger and death, just as the rabbit is no longer a simple timid creature, but imbued with a ferocity and adaptability that humans could never endure.

The story of this time and place unfold with every image I create. The refuge of an imagined time and place, which has been reclaimed by silence and nature, inspires anything I make. It is weird and dark – recognizable, yet completely foreign. I explore this world constantly through my work, and every time I go there my curiosity grows.

Biography

Benjamin Brockman is a Tucson based artist and mental health worker.

While maintaining a rigorous studio practice, he has served in a variety of roles in the mental health field, currently working as a recovery coach, helping homeless, addicted or transitioning community members.

Brockman’s artwork reflects his passion for mental health in tandem with the healing power of art. He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife Sophie and daughter Poppy.