Statement
I am a collector.  Among the treasures I discover are old glass negatives, photographs, scientific ephemera, botanical prints and medical books. Many of the glass negatives are of women.I scan and combine them with scientific ephemera to form new environments.The women command attention, almost as if to ask the viewer to enter their world – a place that might feel vaguely familiar to some. They are bold, unafraid and yet somehow still vulnerable. Every one of these women existed at one time.  They stood on solid ground and looked up at the clouds, perhaps dreaming of a better life. Some had children and some lost children, and maybe some chose not to have children. Some perhaps fought diseases or dealt with mental disorders. These women may have hidden in silence from an abuser, or maybe even took their own lives. They laughed, wept, wondered and dreamt, but eventually they all fell into memory. We all fall into memory.  Perhaps our own photographs will be left behind to be gathered by the hands of strangers.  Some of the images have a satirical edge, but there is an underlying presence of struggle and submission.  My experience as a woman is a far cry from the fairytales I read as a child. I tell my daughters, “you are your own prince charming, so saddle up and find yourself.”

The first three Dames I created wereexhibited in the 2008 exhibition titled Thrive,curated by Mary Ross Taylor and reviewed by Lucy Lippard. Thrivetook placeat Diverse Works Gallery in Houston in conjunction with the University of Houston’s conference, titled Gender, Creativity and the New Longevity.  Dames of Anatomywon the 5^thAnnual Julia Margaret CameronAward, as well as the first Annual National Photography Awardthrough the Texas Photographic Society.  In addition, the Dames of Anatomy won the SoHo Photo International Portfolio Competition in 2018.   – LJB

Bio
As a mother of nine children, Laura Bennett spent many years moving to the rhythm of others and keeping order in a chaotic world. During that time she earned B.A. degrees in Journalism and Studio Art from Humboldt State University in California. Her MFA in Photography/Digital Media is from the University of Houston. Bennett has an extensive exhibition record and has received numerous awards. Her work can be seen online at Rfotofolio and Strange Fire Collective. She has been published in View Camera, SHOTS, The Hand, Woven Tale Press and The Book of Alternative Processes by Christopher James.  She has taught all levels of photography, photojournalism and photo history at colleges in Texas, California and Nevada. Bennett offers occasional workshops and individual instruction out of her studio in Auburn, California. She uses an old 8 x 10 Korona Gundlach as well as an early Hasselblad. In addition to traditional gelatin silver and alternative processes, Bennett enjoys scanning antique glass negatives, film, objects and ephemera for transformation in the computer and for creating digital negatives.

CV

Education
2007 MFA Photography / Digital Media, University of Houston, Houston, TX summa cum laude

2003 BA Journalism, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA magna cum laude

2001 BA Studio Art, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA magna cum laude

Professional Experience
Adjunct Fine Art Faculty: Sierra College Rocklin CA

Adjunct Fine Art Faculty: Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village NV

Adjunct Design Faculty: Sacramento State University, Sacramento CA

Project Specialist-Education Camp Leader: Blue Line Gallery, Roseville CA

Full Time Director: Boys & Girls Club of Auburn Rock Creek Elementary Site, Auburn CA

Full Time Faculty: Media Arts, Episcopal High School, Bellaire TX

Adjunct Fine Art Faculty: University of Houston TX

Adjunct Art Faculty: Houston Community College Central

Adjunct Art Faculty: Houston Community College Southwest

Instructor of Record: University of Houston, TX

Art Instructor: Art League of Houston Summer Art Program for Children, TX

Selected Awards / Residencies / Grants
Artist Residency: Stiwdio Maelor, Wales Fall 2019

Rfotofolio 2018 Portfolio Winner for Laura’s Garden: The Botanical Plates

 Second Place: Woven Tale Press 2018 Second Annual Literary & Fine Art Hamptons Prize, for Umbilicus

 Shortlist: 2018 Hariban Award, Kyoto Japan, for Umbilicus

 Top 200 Finalist: Photolucida Critical Mass 2018, for Laura’s Garden: The Botanical Plates

 Winner: Soho Photo International Portfolio Competition, for Dames of Anatomy

 Winner: C4FAP Portfolio Showcase 2018, for Umbilicus

 Top 200 Finalist: Photolucida Critical Mass 2017, for Umbilicus

 Director’s Honorable Mention: C4FAP Illuminate Juried Competition, Juror Peggy Sue Amison

Winner: Texas Photo Society Nat’l Photography Award, Jurors Martina Lopez & Andrew Kensett

SÌM Artist Residency September 2017, for Elsa Johanna , Reykjavik, Iceland

Honorable Mention: Viewpoint Photographic Center Twelve  Exhibition, Juror Chris Fraser

Grant Recipient: 2015 Mylio Grant, Luminous Endowment for Photographers, for Elsa Johanna

 Honorable Mention: It’s All Here in Black & White, Terri Bell Photo Gallery, Denver CO

First Place: NYC4PA Black & White 2013, Juror Mark Sink

First Place: Worldwide Photography Gala 5th Annual Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Malaga Spain 2012

Finalist: Worldwide Photography Gala 2012 Portrait Award, Juror Steve McCurry, York, UK

Winner: New Orleans Photo Alliance, Four by Five Competition, Juror Steve Simmons. New Orleans, LA

First Place: Women In Photography Int’l 2009 Self-Portrait Competition

First Place: SoHo Photo 5th  Annual Alternative Process Competition, Juror Robert Schafer Jr. NY

Honorable Mention: Women In Photography Int’l 2009 Family Gathering Juried Competition

Nominee: 4th  Annual Black & White Spider Awards, Amateur Abstract Category

Honorable Mention: Texas National Competition 2009, S.F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Grant Recipient: Barbara Deming Memorial Fund 2008 for Infectious Myth , Wilton NH

Finalist Award of Excellence: Photographer’s Forum Magazine 28th Annual Spring Photography Contest

Honorable Mention: CENTER Vision 2001 Singular Image (Formerly known as The Santa Fe Center for Photography)

Selected Exhibitions
2019

Solo Exhibition: Umbilicus, Viewpoint Photographic Center, Sacramento, CA

Self-Portrait: Photo Place Gallery Group Exhibition, Juror Aline Smithson, Middlebury, VT

Member Exhibition: Center for Fine Art Photography, Juror Cecily Cullen, Fort Collins, CO

2018

Solo Exhibition: Umbilicus, C4FAP, Carnegie Creative Community Center, Fort Collins, CO

Solo Exhibition: Dames of Anatomy, Red Maple Gallery-Fotofest Participating Venue, Houston, TX

Solo Exhibition: Dames of Anatomy Solo Exhibition, LHUCA, Lubbock, TX

Solo Exhibition: Dames of Anatomy, SoHo Photo Gallery, NY

Celebrating Women: Photo Place Gallery Online Group Exhibition, Juror Joyce Tenneson

Illuminate: C4FAP Group Exhibition, Juror Peggy Sue Amison

In Focus Current Photography: Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA Juror Judy Dater

Portfolio Showcase Exhibition: C4FAP, Carnegie Creative Community Center, Fort Collins, CO

The Golden Mean: Sparrow Gallery, Photography Month Sacramento

2017

UnBound6!: Group Exhibition, Candela Books & Gallery, Richmond VA

Yixian 2017 International Photo Festival, photography + science, Huangshan City, China

Black & White: Photo Place Gallery, Juror Jennifer Schlesinger, Middlebury, VT

2016

C4FAP: Black & White Juried Competition, Juror Rodney Smith, Fort Collins, CO 2015

Artspan Online Group Exhibition: When Night Falls

Artspan Online Gallery & Article: What a Strange World We Live In

 2014

Worldwide Photography Gala Biennial, Julia Margaret Cameron Award Malaga, Spain

Sierra Nevada College Faculty Exhibition, Incline Village, NV

2013

NYC4PA: Black & White Competition, Juror Mark Sink,

TPS 22: The International Traveling Exhibition Texas Photographic Society, Juror Blue Mitchell

It’s All Here in Black &White: 20 x 13, Terri Bell Photographic Studio, Denver CO

Placer Arts 30th Jubilee: Placer Arts Open Juried Exhibition, Placer Art Gallery, Auburn, CA

2012

Not Another Damn Fairytale Ending: Caroline Collective Gallery Fotofest 2012 Participating Venue, Houston, TX

2011

SoHo Photo 40th  Anniversary Exhibition, SoHo Photo Gallery, NY

2010

Four by Five: New Orleans Photo Alliance, Juror Steve Simmons, New Orleans LA

How I Will Die: Annex Gallery Houston Community College SW, Stafford, TX

Photo Place Open: Juror Keith Carter, Middlebury, VT

2009

Idea of Self: C4FAP, Juror Susan A. Zadeh, Fort Collins, CO

Houston Center for Photography Print Auction Exhibition, Houston, TX

Texas National Juried Competition, Juror Mel Chin, S.F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Strange Figurations: Group Thematic Exhibition, Slow Art Productions, Limner Gallery, Hudson NY

Women In Photography International Juried Competition Online Gallery

SoHo Photo 5th  Annual Alternative Process Exhibition, SoHo Photo Gallery, New York, NY

Dreams and Fantasies, Vermont Photography Workplace Juried Competition, Middlebury, VT

2008

Thrive : Curated by Mary Ross Taylor, Diverse Works, Houston, TX

Edgy Photography Exhibition: C4FAP, Juror Michael Itkoff, Fort Collins, CO

Infectious Myth, Photographic Exhibition by Laura J. Bennett, Hungry’s Gallery, Houston, TX

Texas Photographic Society 16: The National Competition Travelling Show, Juror Michelle Dunn Marsh

2007

Bay Area Photography Club 10th  Annual Juried Exhibition, Juror Madeline Yale, TX

Texas Photographic Society 16: The National Competition Travelling Show, Juror Michelle Dunn Marsh

Texas Photographic Society 15: Annual Juried Traveling Exhibition, Juror Harris Fogel

Visual Edge 3: Handcrafted: Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, Juror Kerik Kouklis and Mary Swisher, Sacramento, CA

TPS 22: Annual Members Only Show, Juror Kathy Vargas, San Antonio, TX

30 Years / 30 Cakes: National Juried Exhibition, Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI 2006

Soho Photo Juried National Alternative Process Competition, Juror Christopher James, SoHo Photo Gallery, NY

The Art of Digital International Juried Exhibition: Juror Hugh Davies, Lyceum Theatre, San Diego

Selected Publications
INPHA 7 for Laura’s Garden: The Botanical Plates

 The Hand Magazine Issue 23, January 2019

The Woven Tale Press Vol.VI #9

Portfolio Showcase VI Catalogue, The Center for Fine Art Photography

Luminous Landscape Online Article Elsa Johanna , January 20, 2018

SHOTS Magazine No. 131 Spring 2016

SHOTS Magazine No. 112 Summer 2011 25th  Anniversary Issue / Cover Shot

View Camera Magazine / Four by Five Competition

The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes by Christopher James 2nd  & 3rd  Editions

Best of Photography Annual, 2008 Photographer’s Forum Magazine

SHOTS Issue No.101 Autumn 2008

 

Website