Through mixed media and acrylic painting, my artwork is currently exploring the realities of suburbia, the American obsession with consumerism, and dating, among other things. I use found objects, acrylic paint, photographs, transparencies, image transfers and collage.

My artwork is an exploration of how prevalent cultural myths are in our society. It is an attempt to artistically shed light on some common misconceptions in American culture. Certain deceptive ideals exist within suburbia, consumerism, and love, such as finding the love of your life and living happily ever after. In my experience, a lot of society’s standards and customs go unquestioned, which further propagates these myths. For that reason, my art takes a critical examination of these ideals through the use of objects and materials that are available in everyday life.

These ideas and concepts are ones that I have contemplated since I was in college as an American Studies major. I have always been fascinated with learning the truth behind myths, particularly as related to American society. More recently, I began exploring these ideas through my art. In constructing these pieces, I incorporate different textures, using paint, paper, newspaper, cookbooks, and other found materials. I was drawn to the use of mixed media for these works because of its versatility and its ability to create different layers of meaning. These pieces have been inspired by a number of mixed media artists, in particular Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. With Rauschenberg and Johns’ creative use of different materials in their paintings, and their exploration of American social themes, they are a continued source of inspiration. I’ve taken classes in Painting, Collage and Mixed Media, Abstract Painting, Acrylic Painting, Photographic Composition, Graphic Design, Typography and Art History at schools including California College of Art, San Francisco Art Institute, U.C. Berkeley Extension, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco Photo Center and Brandeis University. I received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Brandeis University in 1995. I’m also a lawyer, having attended University of San Francisco School of Law.

Rebecca Benhuri, 2006