December 6, 2023

Amie Potsic interviews artist Suzanne Benton about her award-winning work that spans over 60 years of feminist sculpture, performance, printmaking, and a new exhibition of paintings.

Suzanne Benton, a native New Yorker, has woven her feminist activism into a multi-faceted artistry that has resonated across 32 countries for nearly seven decades. Her creative journey has been marked by over 150 solo exhibitions, and her work graces prestigious museums and private collections worldwide.

A luminary in the realm of metal mask making and mask performance art, Suzanne is also celebrated as a printmaker, painter, lecturer, and workshop leader. As a trans-culturalist and feminist trailblazer rooted in the United States, her artistic odyssey has unfurled from the vibrant streets of New York City to the far reaches of African, Indian, and Nepalese villages, and from the hallowed halls of Calcutta to the storied grounds of Cambridge.

Having been a Fulbright Scholar in India, she's been awarded numerous grants and artist residencies, including frequent hosting by the cultural wings of U.S. Embassies. Since 1976, her one-of-a-kind creations have carried her to destinations as diverse as Bali, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the artistic landscape of each locale.

In addition to her visual masterpieces, Suzanne is the esteemed author of "The Art of Welded Sculpture" and has penned numerous insightful articles. Her impact is immortalized in prestigious references such as Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Art, and the seminal "Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975," edited by Barbara Love in 2006.

METAL MASKS & PERFORMANCES

© Suzanne Benton, *Lilith*, (Biblical-Midrash), performance mask, copper coated steel, 34” x 18” x 14”, 1973

Suzanne Benton posing with *Lilith* mask © Suzanne Benton, *Lilith* Mask and Tale, developed in 1973

Suzanne Benton performing with *Persephone* mask © Suzanne Benton, *Persephone* Mask and Tale, created and developed for myth and ritual tour in Greece, 1984

© Suzanne Benton, *Persephone*, (performance mask) steel and bronze

Suzanne Benton performing with *Sarah and Hagar* mask © Suzanne Benton, *Sarah and Hagar* Mask & Tale, first performed at Lincoln Center, 1972

© Suzanne Benton, *Perdita*, bronze on steel, 12x10.5x5 inches, (Shakespeare series performance mask), 1982

Suzanne Benton performing with *Perdita* mask © Suzanne Benton, *Perdita*, bronze on steel, 12x10.5x5 inches, (Shakespeare series performance mask), 1982

MONOPRINTS WITH CHINE COLLE

© Suzanne Benton, *C. Sedgewick (Charlotte)*,monoprint with Chine collé, 12 3/8 x 9 ¼ inches, 1998

© Suzanne Benton, *Lucy Larcom*, monoprint with Chine collé, 18 ½ x 12 ¾ inches, 1992

PAINTINGS

© Suzanne Benton, *Giotto Circle 1A*, acrylic, 6” x 6”

© Suzanne Benton, *Continuum*, oil on canvas, 40” x 30”, 2021

Click here to visit Suzanne Benton’s website.

Click here to visit Suzanne Benton's Art History page.

Banner Image: Suzanne Benton posing with Lilith mask © Suzanne Benton, Lilith Mask and Tale, developed in 1973