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Artist Spotlight: Pablo Benavente

July 25, 2013 By exposeddc

In Artist Spotlight, we occasionally ask photographers to tell us in their own words about their work and how they challenge themselves. Today’s Spotlight is by Pablo Benavente. 

"Saudah - Union Station" by Pablo Benavente
“Saudah – Union Station” by Pablo Benavente

– “These people come here to take our jobs, man.”

That’s what the guy on the street said to my coworker. Perhaps he thought that I was just another Latino that didn’t speak English, or perhaps he didn’t care.

Like many of you, I started in photography by taking photos of monuments, the zoo,  parades, and sometimes friends and family. I shot using different styles, settings, reflections, sunsets, moon rises, filters, etc. As I learned and practiced, I started getting offers to do professional gigs like weddings, events which I still do. But inevitably, when you’ve tried many things, there’s a point at which you ask yourself: “Now what?”

"Malcolm X Park" by Pablo Benavente
“Malcolm X Park” by Pablo Benavente

– “So Pablo, how would you describe the food of your country?”
– “I would say it’s similar to Mexican food, based on corn, but not as spicy”
– A third guy jumps in the conversation: “I think people come to this country because they want to eat real food, American food.”

I realized that in order to be taken seriously as an artist and a photographer, one of the things that I had to do was to create a body of work, to create projects. Having taken photos of different subjects and styles, I realized that I was most attracted to portraits and street photography; photos of people. The only problem with that was that at the same time I was discovering that I am an introvert, which made it a bit difficult to relate to people and to socialize. When I was doing street photography, I used a 135mm lens or longer, even 300mm in order to keep my distance. I was afraid that people would get mad at me for taking their photo.

"Mara - Roller Derby" by Pablo Benavente
“Mara – Roller Derby” by Pablo Benavente

So I challenged myself. I decided that my project had to be portraits. I also wanted for my project to have a meaning, to be a contribution somehow to society. When I was a kid back in Nicaragua, one of my school assignments was to do a presentation about different countries. I went to the American embassy to get information, and they gave me a brochure with a title I still remember: “A Nation of Immigrants.” I kept the brochure for many years because I was really impressed with the meaning of it, but it never crossed my mind that one day I would be a citizen of this country.

"Occupy DC" by Pablo Benavente
“Occupy DC” by Pablo Benavente

– Me: “My favorite opera singers are Carlo Bergonzi and Joan Sutherland.”
– Friend: “How come you know so much about opera? Do you have music CDs in your country?”

So one day, I decided to switch lenses. Instead of my beloved 135mm, I went out with a 20mm. I realized that to take photos now, I had to be really close to people and usually start a conversation. It was surprisingly less difficult than I originally thought. I’d decided that my project was going to be about immigration. I wanted to show a face of immigration that is not making news these days. Like the brochure told me, this is a nation of immigrants; we contribute to this country’s economy with our work; we contribute to society with our culture. Just think about how many restaurants of foreign food you have visited in a city like D.C.

"Folklife Fest 2013" by Pablo Benavente
“Folklife Fest 2013” by Pablo Benavente

That’s how “I’mmigrant” was born. I take portraits of immigrants and ask them to tell me about themselves and their interests, and anything else they want to express. Sometimes I post some information about immigration, and some of my experiences as an immigrant in this country. The project is still getting off the ground, but so far it has been a fascinating journey. I have been talking to a few interested venues and hope to display the project soon.

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight Tagged With: artist spotlight, i'mmigrant, immigrants, immigration, pablo benavente, portraits, street photography

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