Benjamin Jaffe

Artist Statement

I am particularly interested in the temporal existence that we are all passing through. Huge glass and steel or concrete and granite structures seem to be permanent yet when we look at the ancient pyramids or ruins from previous civilizations we realize that even the sturdiest of constructions can only sustain so much before crumbling to the elements of time. I have attempted to capture this feeling by showing modern ruins as if stumbled upon by some future intrepid voyager. These images are an attempt to understand our place in the universe as well as human behavior. The full spectrum of social debate can be argued, but I am actually attempting to communicate something on a more spiritual level. The subject to me is not just about our environment, it is about human beings; What we subject one another to, what we are capable of withstanding, and finally what we leave behind.

Biography

Born to Amy Jaffe [the goddaughter of Jane Adams] and Mordecai Jaffe [a world renowned Plant Physiologist], I attended twenty schools before completing my education. Because of the demand for my father’s research, my family lived like a band of gypsy’s, moving regularly, following the cutting edge of scientific study. From a young age I experienced a life most people only read about. At age nine I watched Israeli Phantom Jets dog fight with enemy Mig fighters over the Negev desert in the holy land. The following year while walking home from school in Strasbourg France, I witnessed a bank robbery and identified the gun-wielding antagonist in a police line up straight out of a 40's Film Noir. Later on a cold and windy winter night in Chicago I came to the aid of a stabbing victim, chasing off the would be rapist with a framing hammer, and administering first aid on the spot to the bleeding woman with 6 puncture wounds in her body while awaiting an ambulance. These early experiences created an unusual background along with a thirst for extreme adventure. Along with my brother, uncle, and cousins, I took up Mountaineering and I have turned the outdoors into a way of life. I currently live on the South Side of Chicago in the historic neighborhood of Bronzeville, between Muddy Water's Way and the former home of Louis Armstrong. I teach Photography at Kenwood Academy where I draw inspiration from my talented students.