Gallery 229 presents Almost Human by LSU School of Art MFA candidate Benjamin Koch.

Artist’s Statement

On the surface, the images in Almost Human reveal everyday foods ordinarily found in home pantries and cupboards. Through deconstruction and the attempted repair of these items, the focus is shifted to the futility of piecing back together these familial household ingredients. One cannot help but be overcome by a sense of regret. This feeling is trivial and counter-productive to everyday life.

Humans are the sum of experiences. To regret a moment of one’s past is to reject a part of what constitutes identity. When a person feels remorse, such negative emotions create a sense of detachment from an individual’s essence and, as a result, one is left empty, feeling less than human and disconnected from reality.

Almost Human examines the concept of regret.