Today we’d like to introduce you to Aleya Lehmann Bench.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a painter turned photographer. Growing up, I did both—painting and photography, and then by the time I arrived at college I had left both behind, and thought I’d be an English major. This didn’t last long, as I transferred to the art department at the start of my sophomore year. I went on to earn a BFA in Painting from Boston University, and then after some time off to travel, I earned an MFA in Painting as well from American University in Washington, DC.
I moved to New York City after finishing up the MFA, and devoted my time to working in my studio, and also to working in various arts administration jobs—really for a very long time—30 plus years. The move from painting to photography along the way was gradual; there was a year or two in between when I was sewing “garments” out of tulle fabric, intended to be viewed as sculpture. More recently, I stepped down from my last arts administration job, about five years ago, in order to work full time in the studio—on a photography project which seems to involve photography, painting and sewing all together!
I create what looks like a theatre set in the studio, complete with backdrops, costumes, props, etc., and then working with a model, who is a painter friend of mine, I create “painterly” images that reference theatre, circus, procession, pageants, performance, etc.
They are shot with long exposures, so you see the model in motion, and they are color-saturated and soft-focus, with the help of an old vintage Sinar 4×5 film camera connected to a medium-format digital Hasselblad—the best of both worlds for this kind of work. I have an increasing interest in the notion of individualism–the individual’s courage to occupy a space, to perform there, to create a theatre of one, a procession of one, a pageant of one. In my studio, and in my images, I have created a delicate, almost hesitant, but nevertheless insistent “theatre for one.”
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For any artist, I believe, having enough time to work in the studio — ideally long stretches of time — is always the biggest challenge. I would add to that the challenge of balancing the way it really feels to work in the studio with the need to communicate about what is happening in the studio.
What I mean is that there are many times, most of the time really, when I am creating something new, trying to sort out a problem, or figure out how to move forward with something and really, this is not a “cheery” process. Then, when I go to post something on social media about how my day went, I always feel compelled to do exactly that — make it all sound very cheery! That’s a challenge!
Please tell us about Aleya Lehmann Bench Photography.
My photography business is more focused on “fine art photography” which is separate from “commercial photography” although it is ideal to balance the two. When I earn income from my studio practice, it is usually through the sale of prints, not generally through commercial assignments. However, during our annual Open Studios event in spring, I have had visitors come through, see my work, and then contact me later to commission something.
For example, I was hired by an editor to shoot some wonderful, exotic jewelry, which she wanted to place within a setting of candy — this was because she had seen my still life photographs of candy while in my studio — it was a perfect match. As I am very familiar with fabrics, and garment construction, and photographing models in motion, I know that another great match is shooting for a fashion designer or a fashion magazine — another perfect fit!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
At one point, early on, when I first opened the studio and was first working full-time in the studio, I made a “dream” daily schedule, allowing time for research, reading, creating, and just plain old looking. I wish I’d actually followed that!
I spend most of the studio time in creative mode, which is fantastic, but I really do think it is important to do the research stuff too; also, it really is critical to reach out to at least one new person every day, whether it is an email, a phone call, or a letter — I struggle with this. And add to that, staying in touch with other artists – really key to having a balanced studio life!
Pricing:
- Prints are available for $950 each, in limited editions of 5 each. Portrait, still life, and fashion assignments welcome!
Contact Info:
- Address: 220 36th Street, Studio B-433, P.O. Unit 92
Brooklyn, NY 11232 - Website: www.aleyalehmannbench.com
- Phone: 718-788-7788
- Email: aleya@aleyalehmannbench.com
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