emma bennett

Emma Bennett: Reading for Artist Inspiration

Phil Treagus-Evans

Emma Bennett’s reading list

21 books mentioned in this interview

  1. Hold Still · Sally Mann
  2. More Mary-Mary · Joan G. Robinson
  3. Catcher in the Rye · JD SalingerRecommended 26 times
  4. All the Pretty Horses · Cormac McCarthy
  5. New York Trilogy · Paul AusterRecommended 3 times
  6. Crime and Punishment · Fyodor DostoyevskyRecommended 12 times
  7. Armada · Brian Patten
  8. Anna Karenina · Leo TolstoyRecommended 12 times
  9. The Old Man and the Sea · Ernest HemingwayRecommended 8 times
  10. Brighton Rock · Graham Greene
  11. A Coney Island of the Mind · Lawrence Ferlingetti
  12. After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie
  13. Voyage in the Dark
  14. Good Morning, Midnight
  15. The Line of Beauty · Alan Hollinghurst
  16. The Bell Jar · Sylvia PlathRecommended 10 times
  17. Sonny’s Blues · James Baldwin
  18. The Outsider · Albert CamusRecommended 4 times
  19. The Situationist International Anthology · Ken Knabb
  20. A Country Doctor’s Notebook · Mikhail Bulgakov
  21. The Volcano Lover · Susan Sontag

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Emma Bennett is an artist whose work has been described as ‘a creator of contemplative paintings that are contemporary manifestations of the classic idea of the memento mori’. Emma graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the Chelsea College of Art and Design. Emma’s work often contains depictions of the fragile life forms such as small birds, fish and flowers. Her work has been exhibited all around Europe at renowned museums and galleries. I was very keen to have the opportunity to speak with Emma about the books that have helped her flourishing art career. Here is my interview with Emma Bennett…

When someone asks you ‘what do you do for a living?’ – how do you respond?

I say that I’m an artist and that I make paintings.

What are you reading at the moment?

Hold Still by Sally Mann.

When you think about your childhood, what book comes to mind?

More Mary-Mary by Joan G. Robinson.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An artist and/or a musician.

What do you think your school aged self would think of the present day you?

I don’t think I’ve changed very much, but I live in a very different place than where I grew up and a lot has happened along the way (good and bad!). I think I’d just be pleased that I’d survived this long!

If you could wrap up a single book and gift it to yourself as you left education – which book would it be?

This is probably an obvious choice, but I think I’d choose Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger.

Does your reading have routine? Is there a particular time or place that you like to read?

I tend to do most of my reading when I’m travelling and I listen to audio books when I’m in my studio. I also read to my children every day.

Which book has had the biggest impact on your career so far?

I can’t name one book, but I can name one author – Gaston Bachelard. I also have many artist’s monographs and books on painting that influence my work, but I don’t read these books, I just look at the pictures!

Do you have any books that you strongly associate with someone important in your life?

There are many books that I connect with because they have very strong associations for me. For example:

My best friend… All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy & New York Trilogy by Paul Auster.

My band mates… Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky & Armada by Brian Patten.

My Mum… Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

My Dad… The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

My first boyfriend… Brighton Rock by Graham Greene.

My husband… A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlingetti.

I recommend three books by Jean Rhys – After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie, Voyage in the Dark and Good Morning, Midnight.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

Fiction. I also read a lot of poetry.

Do you think reading is important?

Yes, very important.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?

The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst.

Do you prefer real books or digital books?

I much prefer real books, I don’t like reading books off a screen, but I do listen to audio books.

Name a book that you feel every human should have to read by law.

I don’t think that people should be required to read any particular book by law, but I think everyone should be taught to read, encouraged to keep reading, and everyone should have access to books.

Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?

Everything by Ernest Hemingway.

Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

The Outsider by Albert Camus.

Poetry books by all the greats including Syliva Plath, Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, John Keats, Dylan Thomas, D H Lawrence, Thom Gunn and Lawrence Fellinghetti

The Situationist International Anthology by Ken Knabb.

What books or subject matter do you plan on reading in the next year?

A Country Doctor’s Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov.

The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag.

If you were to write an autobiography – what would it be called?

I wouldn’t write an autobiography, I’d make a painting.

If you’d like to learn more about Emma Bennett, you can find her on her website.

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