RE-CIRCULATION: THE ART OF BENJAMIN TERRELL

By John Richardson

John Richardson lives and works in Connecticut and Oregon. He teaches at the University of Connecticut. Richardson's column on the work of Benjamin Terrell coincides with Terrell's show of recent paintings at One Wall Gallery in Eugene, OR. 

You can find more of John Richardson's work at johnjrichardsonart.com and on Instagram @johnjrichardsonart.

Untitled #2
Benjamin Terrell, 2022, oil and stain on wood panel

Mist is a cloud of water. Molecules of water vapor condense to form suspended droplets. The  droplets move laterally, or at times seemingly upward. Not gas and not solid, but a distinct  experience. A liquid, that because of its environment, floats.
 
Mist can occur when a moist body of warm air moves over water and then encounters cooler  land. The air temperature drops and mist forms. Often happening at night, or perhaps in the  early morning, mist conceals as it allows limited sight. The essential characteristics of a  landscape may still be seen, but appear different, altered. 
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Over the centuries, mist has taken on an emblematic quality, one of blended realities, a  dream state, a mysterious occurrence. Most definitely signaling a shift in perception, mist can  move slowly, defying the regular expectations of the world it inhabits.

Yet mist is water, and water is a most basic element necessary for all life. Water permeates our  world, our bodies, and our daily practices. From nourishment to bathing to cleaning, water is  essential. The condition of water is critical. The right amount of water sustains. Too much in the  wrong way, drowns. Chuang Tzu wrote, “If there is not sufficient depth, water will not float  large ships. Upset a cupful into a hole in the yard, and a mustard-seed will be your boat. Try to  float the cup, and it will be grounded, due to the disproportion between water and vessel.”1
 
Benjamin Terrell’s landscapes may at first glance seem ordinary. They are distinct and specific  enough that they must be created from observation and not wholly imagined. Even so, they  seem unusual in some subtle way.
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With ongoing consideration, rhythmic geometries can be seen. Repeated patterns that  probably don’t occur in nature, at least not very often. What do these mean? Like a map where  distilled features are conveyed efficiently, the symbolic features of his painting move from being barely noticeable, to a loud whisper, to the only characteristic that matters. These can’t  just be idyllic visions, can they? 

Like Chuang Tzu’s water, the way in which the painting is perceived determines the quality of  the experience of the seeing. And, this seems to be the point. With repeated, careful sitting, the  landscapes radiate a calm, firm presence. They hint at a potential revelation that is barely  there, that could become available with a little more time. Like a morning mist, the paintings  shift our understanding of what may be present. Is something revealed? Concealed? Both? It’s  hard to say for sure, but that’s the best reason to keep looking. Floating worlds, outside of time,  or at least next to where time starts. Taking the time to see becomes the reason to look. Mist only lasts until the sun comes out. In this I’m reminded of Rumi’s advice, “Don't wait any longer.  Dive in the ocean, leave and let the sea be you.” 

Benjamin Terrell’s rich vision offers the viewer an invaluable opportunity to stop and to  contemplate. Not through escape, but rather by immersion. For this, I am thankful.
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- John Richardson, November 21, 2022


1  Chuang Tzu, A Happy Excursion

Mountain and Clouds #3
Benjamin Terrell, 2022, oil and stain on wood panel

Mountain and Clouds #2
Benjamin Terrell, 2022, oil and stain on wood panel