Life is full of trails and tributaries that often can’t be planned and many times appear around bends, sometimes through mist and once in a while, clear as a crisp day. In 2002, I graduated from Carleton as a studio art major (focusing in photography). Like many art majors before me and countless after, I had no idea what I hoped to do. I had never been the kind of person with sights set on one specific career path. For many years after Carleton, I worked a variety of odd jobs – catering, waiting tables, canvassing for politicians… I even started a salad dressing company out of my family’s NYC apartment with a Carleton theatre graduate from my year, Zach McGowan, who has also had an interesting professional journey (just google him). Anyway, our sole product was a 100% organic extra virgin olive oil balsamic vinaigrette, infused with spices we imported directly from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. That company didn’t last long and the money we lost was worth the business education we gained. After that, in 2005-2006, I spent a year living and working in northern India on an American India Foundation Service Corps Fellowship.
Throughout all these experiences (there was much world travel intermixed in between and plenty of photography projects as well), photography and storytelling remained a constant. For a number of years I taught photography at The Point Community Center in the South Bronx, which has a black and white darkroom based photo program run by the International Center of Photography. I also spent a year as an artist-in-residence at a New York City public high school in Crown Heights through the arts education organization, Young Audiences New York. In 2009, I realized I wanted to pursue further studies. Not exactly looking specifically for a MFA in Photography or a Masters in Photojournalism, I began a two-year MFA in Documentary Media program at Ryerson University in Toronto. In Canada, I explored diverse forms of documentary representation. While there, I focused my creative efforts on documentary filmmaking. Towards the end of that program, the opportunity to pursue a PhD in Screen and Media Studies via a three year Marsden funded research project at the University of Waikato on the north island of New Zealand came my way. Currently, I’m living in Wellington, New Zealand and exploring the intersection of recent digital video technologies, human rights and social activism and the practitioners pushing the boundaries of new forms of documentary representation (smartphone cameras, online platforms, live streaming, and much more). Studying art in Aotearoa is full circle as I was lucky to have joined Fred Hagstrom and crew in the winter of 2001 on the South Pacific Studio Art Seminar (an amazing program!).
I might add that I’ve also produced a wide range of photographic and video projects. My film, “The Backwards Rider,” toured the world as part of the 2011 Bicycle Film Festival, screening at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC, the Sydney Opera House and the Barbican in London. Currently my film, “This Is Just Batting Practice “ is part of The Art of the Archive exhibition at the newly opened Ryerson Image Centre in Toronto. Recent photographic projects have been part of exhibits at the Contact Photo Festival in Toronto, the New Orleans Photo Alliance, and UnionDocs in Brooklyn. Some of my work can be seen at – benlenzner.com, benslenz.blogspot.com and vimeo.com/benlenzner. Four years in Boliou were extraordinarily challenging and incredibly forming as an artist, a student and a person. I miss Carleton, Northfield and the rare bonds and community created during my time there. I’m more than happy to chat with art majors about life after Carleton. I send love and creative energy to all those working on projects late into the cold Minnesota night in Boliou from now till eternity and if I may, one word of advice… If you park your car to unload materials behind Boliou, be sure to use the emergency brake!!!