Featured Artist: Martin Benson | Falyn Morningstar | 1-2025
Inspired by meditative practices and sacred geometry, Martin Benson’s paintings occupy a space between reality and the sublime. Though vibrant, the ease of Benson’s transitions from one color field to the next silently directs the eye across the canvas; a stark contrast from the precision of his geometric icons. It is this latent tension that cultivates contemplation. Along with a committed art practice, Benson also is the host of the podcast “Concerning The Spiritual In Art”, where he dialogues with artists from around the world about topics related to spirituality, consciousness, and the creative process. Benson’s work has been exhibited at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Contemporary Arts Center (LA), the New Orleans Museum of Art, among others. He is represented in many private collections as well as in the permanent collections of the New Orleans Hillel Center, New Orleans Children’s Hospital, New York Presbyterian, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the University Medical Center, New Orleans. Benson received his MFA from the University of New Orleans and his BA in Studio Art from the University of Southern California.
Emerald Tablet (33’ x 44’ Acrylic on Canvas)
The Interview
As an artist and a parent, how do you foster creativity and a love for art within your family, and have you found that your children are inspired to create their own artwork?
Thats a great question and something I am still exploring and trying to foster more of in my children. The first thing is to include them in what I am doing. I always bring them to my openings and gallery shows. Especially my 6 year old. I always show him what I am working on and ask for his opinions, engaging him in the creative dialogue. I also always show a lot of interest in his art that he brings home from school or what he does at home. Just making it an exciting and positive experience for him is key. My daughter is still too little to have those conversations, but I always show her my work, along with other artists work when the opportunity is there to share. I let her play with my brushes in the studio and love to put a marker in her hand to see what she does. I feel as they get older, I’ll engage this side of them more and more. But the most important thing is to be an example of living a creative life and that will probably have the most impact in the long run.
How does your meditation practice and understanding of sacred geometry and esoteric symbolism influence your creative process, and can you provide an example of how these elements have been integrated into your artwork to convey interconnectedness and deepen our understanding of reality?
My meditation practice continues to evolve beyond just the formal practices I do at my home altar every day. I try to bring that energy into everything I do, albeit imperfectly. However the insights from diving inward spontaneously arise, without warning, like a flash, images appears, emotions move, and inspiration seems to flow out. Sometimes those experiences lead to concrete ideas for works of art, most of the time it just creates space. Space for energy to move through me uninhibited. This is what I think really drives the decision making in the studio, a sense of space and trust. It’s hard to explain. I feel the sacred geometry has a major impact on my subconscious, because I feel deep down we recognize these forms as part of us. It kind of awakens a deep memory of who we really are and what we are apart of….this grand universe of pure unbounded potential. The more I engage in these practices the more this sense of trust or faith strengthens. Ultimately I am just preparing the ground for the complete surrender to it all. I still have a lot of shedding to do, to get there fully though.
How do you envision your art contributing to the broader conversation on the interconnectedness of humanity and the role of art in raising consciousness?
I am not sure really. Obviously, I hope it creates impacts on peoples hearts in a positive way. I kind of see it like sunlight, water, or soil. I am just helping nurture the seeds of awakening with the few drops of water I have to give. Thats the best way to frame how I see my art, just a little water and sunlight.
Can you share a particularly profound or transformative experience you've had while creating one of your pieces, and how that influenced the final outcome?
While I am working I attempt as best as I can to get out of my own way. Most of the time I just disappear and there is just the act of painting it self. It’s very bizarre and hard to describe. Most of the time after a painting is done and I have stepped away for a few days or weeks I go back and look at it and I am not sure who painted it. It’s almost like the art makes it self most of the time.
Even The Worst Of Us Is Stardust ( 18’ x 24’ x 2 oil on Canvas Mounted to a Panel)
Is My Birth and Death The Same Moment? (24’ x 24 × 2 Oil on CanvasMonted to a Panel)
Ripples of Light, Dancing Just Right (30’ x 24’ Oil on Canvas)
Your art has been showcased in galleries, art fairs, and private collections across the United States. How do you think the context and environment in which your art is displayed influence its perception and impact?
I am also unsure about this. I struggle with this honestly. Sometimes I think the context of galleries and museums have a tinge of stink to it. That probably is because it’s all tied up with money , commerce, and status. Which is ironic for me, because I would love to be able to support my family doing this work, but something about the art market and commercial spaces make me feel ill. It’s no shade to galleries and dealers, I understand we all gotta eat and support our lives. But if I am being honest, I ask my self a lot, is this really what art is supposed to be? I find it more refreshing when I see art integrated in daily life without all that bull shit. Thats why I love teaching. I can just engage in the purity of creative pursuits without the thought of money, notoriety, or ownership. It’s very pure and is why I will always teach art, it keeps me grounded to whats real and most important, being a positive influence in others lives and initiating others into the power of the creative spirit.
Bound By What Goes Unseen
What inspired you to delve into the world of NFTs, and what advice would you give to other artists who are considering this innovative avenue for their work?
I dont really do much of it. I just made a handful of them a few years back. They are super cool and were fun to make, but not something I am seriously pursuing. I think I was just trying to jump on a wave at the time to see if I could surf.
Your artistic repertoire encompasses paintings, works on paper, and sculptures. How does your creative process differ when working in each of these mediums, and what unique challenges or opportunities does each one present?
I think painting and drawing are my favorite because I can really get into that flow and disappear. I get inspiration for installations and sculptures and they are challenging to make which is nice, but it’s more of a headache and takes too much thinking. I will still do them for the right space and project. But I prefer to think less, so thats why more traditional media feels more natural to me.
The Agape Way or The Highway (24’ × 30’ × 2’ Oil on Canvas Mounted to a Panel)
