Mystery Wins
By Steve Bennett | September 6, 2020
I use Instagram as a rough barometer to show me which of my images of the pandemic appeal the most. Masked faces are the most popular in my feed, but not just any masked faces—I get the most engagement with images of faces that are nearly completely obscured, leaving it up to the viewer to fill in the blanks and connect the dots. We crave connection, but we still love mystery.
Copyright © 2020 Steven Bennett
Steve Bennett is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based visual artist. He began taking photographs more than 40 years ago, in the age of film, and transitioned to digital photography in the late 90s. Today, in addition to taking and making traditional street, macro, and landscape photographs, he creates photo-based abstract composites designed to take viewers on fanciful flights of the imagination through virtual realms. His work has been displayed in numerous juried exhibitions, and at Google’s Kendall Square, Cambridge offices as well as various technology, biotech, and financial service companies in the Boston area.