"Play Refreshed" LIMITED EDITION 2024

Archival pigment print on Aurora 300 Natural rag paper, signed and numbered, image size 15 x 19 inches, paper size 17 x 11 inches.

This series draws inspiration from vintage advertisements featuring carousel imagery, often used to sell products ranging from motor oil to soft drinks. These ads evoke a nostalgic sense of childhood innocence, leveraging sentimentality to foster consumer trust and brand loyalty. However, the familiar carousel horses are absent, replaced by creatures stitched together from a patchwork of disparate animal parts. These jarring combinations fracture the idyllic, nostalgic glow, creating a striking contrast between the comforting allure of the past and the surreal, disjointed nature of the present. Vibrant colors and distorted forms blend to challenge the viewer’s perception of memory, nostalgia, and reality, questioning the idealized and often deceptive images we cling to from the past.

All images copyright Doug Bennett

This project is supported by United Arts, Raleigh Arts, and the
North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.