I Can Only See Shadows

About the Photographer

Benedict, Marissa Lee

American, b. 1985

In this science fiction–inspired multichannel video, artist team Marissa Lee Benedict and David Rueter trace energy through its residue: dust. The piece examines the byproducts of carbon-based fuels as they enter the atmosphere as dust and considers a future where undetectable particulates might be used to carry information. Benedict and Rueter document dust blowing upward and outward, from deserts and industrial sites to places all over the globe. In the process they suggest a strange world where particulates can convey both mysterious uses and caustic effects. This work was shown as part of MoCP’s Petcoke: Tracing Dirty Energy exhibition in 2016.

Marissa Lee Benedict and David Rueter are independent American artists who have been working collaboratively since 2015. Working as an artist collective, they merge their affinities for technology, the environment, and the material culture of industry. Their work embraces a variety of media, ranging from two-dimensional works on paper to performance and video.

Benedict and Rueter have received multiple grants for their collaborative efforts, including the National Endowment for the Arts "Art Works" grant for their joint project Gary Lights Open Works, developed under artist Jan Tichy's Heat Light Water Cultural Project in Gary, Indiana, as well as and Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts Grant. Their collaborative work has been exhibited at the 34th Sao Paulo Bienal, Wrightwood 659 in Chicago, the Venice Architecture Biennial, the 68 Projects in Berlin, and Expo Chicago among others. Both artists earned Masters of Fine Arts degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

updated 7/5/2023