When most folks think of occult metaphors, the picture that comes to mind often includes images of sacrifice, ritualistic symbols, perhaps the devil, or at the very least goats and pentagrams – lots of pentagrams. Imagine my surprise to find some of these idealisms accompanied by delicate colors, ethereal animals, Victorian-era design influence, and enough flowers to make any budding botanist swoon. Enter the artwork of Cory Benhatzel, whose airy and dreamlike compositions incorporate animal symbolism as well as Floriography, the “language of flowers” developed during the 19th century. Take a moment to enjoy the hidden knowledge she shares and see what mysteries her flora and fauna impart upon you.
Dirge: Can you tell us more about your background – what made you become an artist?
Cory: Well I was always drawing as a child and loved art class at school. I always wanted to be an artist, to be able to be a creative professional, but it took many years to understand exactly what that would involve. My dad was a local rock star/musician and my mom was interested in photography, so there was creativity in my veins. I always had such a love for animals, and they were always around – be it our pet cats or the wildlife in our large backyard. I had also been interested in the dark arts since childhood as well; I was fascinated with witchcraft, the Ouija board, and tarot cards.
I had many straight-laced, Christian friends because that was – and is – the prominent mindset in this area, unfortunately – and would sort of like to turn them to the dark side and introduce them to occult fun and ghost stories. I think the combination of the power of nature and of the occult was the theme that would always drive my imagination and give me the most inspiration.
I’m fascinated with some of your occult symbolism as well as your use of Floriography. What is it that draws you to incorporate these subjects into your art?
The occult has always been endlessly fascinating to me. There is so much hidden knowledge to be sought after, and as you begin to delve into such mysteries it becomes immediately evident that there is much wisdom to be found, if you know where to look. I don’t share a lot on a personal level with the world because I don’t necessarily feel comfortable doing so, but if you look in my work, my beliefs are there. I’ve never made a work with a symbol that I don’t understand or believe in. For example, Satanic and Luciferian symbols are present in many works because there are aspects of these at the core of my belief system. I feel that a piece of art shouldn’t have everything up front; there should be some mystery, some hidden aspects that require some investigation. Otherw
ise, it’s just dull.
It’s the same with Floriography; I always had an interest in flowers, and when I found out that there was a system people used to communicate with each other in a code of plants and flowers, I knew I had to incorporate it into my work to give a deeper meaning, to make it richer. Everything is so ‘surface’ today, as is most of the popular artwork; and I don’t want to add to that vapidity. Hidden knowledge is the common theme that ties my animals to the occult and flower symbolism.
Who/what are your biggest influences? Where are you finding ideas for your work?
Of course nature is very inspiring; I live in a beautiful area and take advantage of frequent walks and animal sightings so that has a huge impact on my work. I actually wish I could live even more in the forest away from everything, but unfortunately that’s not very realistic! Music has always been very inspirational to me. While I find a lot inspiring from art as well, it always seems to primarily be music that drives me. I try not to take directly from any sources and to keep my work as original as I can. I want it to be an amalgamation of things I love; for it to be art I want to see.
A rare, very direct link from the music I love to my work has to do with the band, Ghost. Since I started listening to them a couple of years ago, every one of my pieces takes place at night.
What’s the most indispensable item(s) in your studio that helps you produce art?
Ironically, sunlight is probably the most indispensable. I don’t like to work with artificial lights and work right next to the window so I can utilize the natural light when painting and drawing. Of course when inspiration (or deadlines) hit, working at night can be unavoidable. Other than that, I like to have my animal children not too far away and usually put on music or a bad movie in the background to get me going.
Could you tell us a little more about your artistic process? What goes into the production of a new painting?
It starts with a thought process where I sort of imagine some element or elements of the piece that I want it to include, then sketching out thumbnails and looking at reference pics. At some point the inspiration really hits, and I realize what the crux of the painting that I want to focus on is. Then I begin transferring/drawing it onto the birch and begin the layers of acrylic after matte medium.
What was the most powerful work of art you recall viewing? Where was it? How did it make you feel?
I am oftentimes humbled by art that I see or read about, but more so it ends up being music that makes an indelible mark on me and is the most inspirational. I think if I had to pick a piece of art specifically, I guess it was probably a Warhol piece that I saw at the Albright Knox here in Buffalo as a child. It was a silver one of soup cans I think; it was memorable because I didn’t understand it at the time, and it made me want to learn all about Warhol – which I then did. I appreciated that it made me question what I thought I knew about art and artists.
Many artists have mixed feelings about art education programs. How did your years at Otis College of Art and Design shape your artistic vision?
That is a subject that I have very mixed feelings about. In my freshman year we were taught foundation courses, like life drawing. When I first started the life drawing class, I thought that I knew how to draw. I was humbled to find out that I knew nothing! By the end of the class, though, I had come a long way,
and that felt like a huge accomplishment; especially when my professor put some of my drawings on the wall. It was an extensive class, and I was very happy to have taken it.
After freshman year, we chose our majors; I chose fine art. I feel that my time there was worthwhile because if I had not gone, my work would never have become what it is now. I learned how to recognize what images mean – what they stand for and represent. It’s hard for me to describe this, but basically it’s that I learned how to critique things. I feel sort of self-taught in terms of my painting and the actual processes I use because I didn’t learn that at Otis, but through experimentation and talking to other artists.
There are a lot of things I really hate about Otis though; my husband and I chose not to attend our graduation there, so that should say a great deal. I am thankful that I met my husband there though; that in itself made my time there worthwhile.
What’s your art-world pet peeve?
Well, I’ll say this: a good gallery is hard to find. If you ever meet me at an opening and get a few beers in me, I’ll have no problem in extending my rants about the art world.
If you could tell your viewers one thing – about art, life, whatever – what would you tell them?
I would tell them to think for themselves and not just mindlessly swallow the shit that’s shoved in their faces, but that would be ironic, wouldn’t it? Investigate, learn! Try new things. Be your own hero. Other than that, I would say to get the fuck off Facebook and go outside or something! It feels so much better to actually just live life without constantly comparing myself and my work to other artists.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future (artistically or otherwise)?
I hope to further my work and improve my skills. To continue my ever-evolving vision of what I imagine my work to be. To be happy and spend as much time with my family as I can, and to do as much as I can to help animals; the biggest source of my inspiration.
