Benton's Doritos 2002

David Michael Hinnebusch made this collage painting, Benton’s Doritos, using paper, stencils and Doritos bags. It looks like a piece that was built up bit by bit, with the artist layering image on top of image to create unexpected relationships. The crumpled surface gives it a cool, accidental feel. I wonder, was he thinking about the Old Masters, like Thomas Hart Benton, when he made this? There's definitely a sense of gravity there, even with the snack food wrappers. You know, it reminds me a little of Kurt Schwitters, in the way that he's taking everyday materials and turning them into something beautiful and strange. It's like he's saying, "Hey, even the stuff we throw away can have meaning." And that's a message I can definitely get behind. It makes me think about how we see, and what we value, and how those things are always changing.