Benjamin Blackthorne

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

28"x36" Acrylic on canvas

Benjamin Blackthorne: My artwork is informed by the traumas I experienced as a child and as a teenager and that I still struggle with to this day. As a child of an alcoholic, I was emotionally and sexually abused, neglected, exposed to pornographic and erotic materials by my abuser at a very early age, and experienced the near death of a parent. As a boy, I sought refuge in nature, spending most of my free time in the woods, fields, and gardens around where we lived. I also had the opportunity to view beautiful architecture, gardens, and great works of art during this traumatic period of my life. As a teenager, sports, music, and spiritual texts provided psychological and physical relief. I was diagnosed with complex PTSD and have worked hard to heal, trying to make sense of what has happened to me, through years in therapy and the cathartic process of artmaking.