» Maurice Bennett (2006)

Maurice Bennett (2006)

Maurice Bennett, known nationally and internationally for his pixilated portraits of celebrities made from slices of toast, has found new inspiration in which to develop his toast art. One could say he is on the path to becoming a “Toast Master”. His new work draws heavily from both his natural and cultural environment, the South Coast of Wellington, New Zealand and the Pacific. His knowledge of toast, as an artistic medium, has allowed him to explore new ways of manipulating it using a gas fired torch, whereas previously toasters were employed.

 

Visually Bennett’s work is striking for its unassuming simplicity and clarity of message. In this show, works include variations on Pacific tapa cloth designs and Maori Icons to slices of toast burnt with curved lines and arranged in a way that conveys his view on Wellington’s inner city by-pass.

 

Found objects are creeping into Bennett’s work. Sticks, pebbles and the odd well placed starfish have become part of his ocular vocabulary, not just for their inherent beauty, but also and perhaps more importantly, as a means of positioning himself within his physical surroundings.

 

The combination of these ideas allows one to see the man and his way of thinking. Bennett’s work, once perceived as quizzical or even comical, has matured and with his new found freedom and flexibility with this medium he can express his deeper creative impulses and continue on his journey of self discovery, consolidating his identity as a contemporary New Zealander and New Zealand artist.

 

Note:   For durability, each piece of toast has been sealed in polyurethane back to artist page