Contemporary Art in Context: Benji Reid

Benji Reid’s photographs feature extremely personal narratives that explore his life within the British Black experience, as well as issues such as mental health, perceptions of Black masculinity, and the interconnection of race, national identity, and gender.

A Choreo-Photolistʼs Approach
Reid’s background as an award-winning performer and choreographer in contemporary dance and theater are clearly visible in his photographic tableaux, which merge performance with photography. Reid calls himself a Choreo-Photolist, blending choreography, theater, and photography into one body of work. His compelling photographs present a full spectrum of emotions, often capturing his own body as a radical medium of self-expression.

Reid’s photographic work started around 2011 after his dance group, Breaking Cycles, disbanded. His vocation as a photographic artist evolved slowly, beginning with photographing the everyday life of his daughter. His style developed through experimentation and play, incorporating objects into his work and transitioning from shooting in his home to building his own studio. The objects in his photographs are not mere props—they often offer clues to the meaning of the work.

Holding onto Daddy offers Reid’s reflections on his struggles as a custodial parent dealing with ongoing depression while maintaining a relationship with his daughter. Although Reid is escaping through a window while his daughter plays a video game, they remain tethered to one another. Many of his works feature floating figures; perhaps the artist considers the experience of becoming less earth-bound as liberating, allowing him to explore physical, political, and emotional space. Holding onto Daddy also shows how his daughter became an anchor for him during a time of emotional crisis.

Art History: Living Pictures
Reid’s visually and emotionally compelling photographs have taken the 1800s genre of tableaux vivants (living pictures) to new levels of sophistication and insightfulness. This began in Britain as performances in which participants posed silently and unmoving, in costume or not, enacting scenes from works of art, history, everyday events, or literature. The models remained frozen for thirty seconds, then left the audience to guess the reference. Reid’s tableaux—aside from being captured in photographs—are socially and historically more complex because they deal with contemporary issues and the artist’s own experiences as subject matter.

About the Artist
Reid was born 1966 in Manchester, Britain. He first realized creative fulfillment with the award-winning breakdance group, Broken Glass, eventually becoming creative director for other dance and theater groups. While studying at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Reid encountered the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), whose no-holds-barred approach to art inspired him. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he won the 2020 Wellcome Photography Prize for Holding onto Daddy.

ARTIST Q&A
What are some of the biggest influences on your work, including other artists, events, or things outside of the arts?
BR: The list is too numerous to name them all. My career spans over a twenty-year theater practice and dance training. I must mention Gordon Parks, the American photographer and humanitarian known for his documentation of the Black civil rights movement. His work included iconic photos of working-class Americans living in poverty; Irving Penn for his stunning fashion photography; Charles Bukowski, poet and novelist; and Pina Bausch, a wonderful choreographer and dancer. On that subject, hip hop, jazz, and ballet bear an influence on my work.

Do you have any specific strategies, rituals, or routines that help you work and/or generate ideas?
BR: I have a massive digital notebook of quotes, images, and shorties, so I might spend some time reviewing things I like. I also have my own personal library of books. I’m fortunate to have a home studio, so I play a lot and sometimes an idea will come out of playing or being curious about something. I find I have multiple starting points to get the creative juices flowing.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as an emerging artist?
BR: Failure is part of the process. We get so scared of failing that we often don’t try, but in mistakes we can learn so much! Fail and fail again! Make failing your friend, then you will learn to fly. Also, I’ve learnt that it’s okay to be different.

What advice do you have for students who want to pursue a career in photography?
BR: Develop your vision and become obsessive about light and form. I urge students to see as much work as possible created by very different people. Play and play some more. No one can be you, so be the best you that you can be.

With the multitude of combinations of poses and props, how does your work tie all together as self-referential other than your being part of the composition?
BR: These self-portraits are personal moments captured and imbued with story and magic. These works are a visual representation of my emotional and psychological space.

DISCUSSION
Share Holding onto Daddy with your students and ask them to describe the story behind the image. Ask:

What things do you notice in this image?
What do you think is happening in this story?
What is each character doing?
How do the clothes, props, color, and lighting add more clues about the story?
What kind of story might you tell in a photograph?

STUDIO EXPERIENCES

Create a photograph of a friend, classmate, or family member that features dance or choreographed movement.
Create a self-portrait photograph that uses props and a background environment to share something important about you with the viewer.
Work collaboratively to create a photographic tableau that references a well-known story or scene from a movie. How will you stage the photo to make sure your viewers recognize your source material?
Recreate an important moment in your life through a photographic tableau. Design the image to effectively communicate the story of that moment and its importance. How can you use props, lighting, or photo editing to enhance the story?

Contemporary Photo Tableaux