{"id":2104866,"date":"2026-08-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2104866"},"modified":"2026-08-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T21:00:00","slug":"on-vintage-boards-lou-benesch-conjures-the-fantastic-world-of-the-magician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2104866","title":{"rendered":"On Vintage Boards, Lou Benesch Conjures the Fantastic World of The Magician"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2378\" height=\"2902\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-KEEPERS-2026.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a mystical work by lou benesch featuring a horse sprouting vines and a green dragon\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cKeepers\u201d (2026). All images courtesy of Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">On Vintage Boards, Lou Benesch Conjures the Fantastic World of The Magician<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-21T08:06:29-05:00\">August 21, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Flou-benesch-the-magicians-room-antique-wood-works%2F&amp;title=On%20Vintage%20Boards%2C%20Lou%20Benesch%20Conjures%20the%20Fantastic%20World%20of%20The%20Magician\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Flou-benesch-the-magicians-room-antique-wood-works%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2FLou-Benesch-KEEPERS-2026-960x1172.jpeg&amp;description=On%20Vintage%20Boards%2C%20Lou%20Benesch%20Conjures%20the%20Fantastic%20World%20of%20The%20Magician\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#0a35797f68606f697e3745642f383a5c63647e6b6d6f2f383a48656b786e792f38492f383a46657f2f383a486f646f7969622f383a496564607f786f792f383a7e626f2f383a4c6b647e6b797e63692f383a5d6578666e2f383a656c2f383a5e626f2f383a476b6d6369636b642c6b677a3168656e733745642f383a5c63647e6b6d6f2f383a48656b786e792f38492f383a46657f2f383a486f646f7969622f383a496564607f786f792f383a7e626f2f383a4c6b647e6b797e63692f383a5d6578666e2f383a656c2f383a5e626f2f383a476b6d6369636b642f383a2f4f382f323a2f333e2f383a627e7e7a792f394b2f384c2f384c7d7d7d247e62637963796965666579796b66246965672f384c383a383c2f384c3a322f384c66657f27686f646f796962277e626f27676b6d6369636b64792778656567276b647e637b7f6f277d65656e277d657861792f384c\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/lou-benesch-the-magicians-room-antique-wood-works\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"477006\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Enter <em>The Magician\u2019s Room<\/em>, and you\u2019ll encounter a brawny horse with a serpent coiled on its back, a flock of headless birds diving into a central star, and a fluffy white rabbit framed by an unblinking circle of eyes. This surreal, liminal space is the setting for a new body of work by Paris-based <a href=\"https:\/\/loubenesch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lou Benesch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On view through August 22 at Hashimoto Contemporary, the solo exhibition takes the tarot\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Magician_(tarot_card)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Magician card<\/a> as a starting point. Known as a trickster-wizard who connects the heavens and earth, the mysterious figure is primed for movement and change. Benesch translates the Magician\u2019s inclination for action and mysticism into a collection of dreamy works on found and antique materials.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-The-Magicians-Room-2026.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477006\" title=\"\u201cThe Magician\u2019s Room\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Magician\u2019s Room\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Magician\u2019s Room\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1908\" height=\"2448\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-The-Magicians-Room-2026.jpg\" alt=\"a mystical work by lou benesch featuring a central figure, white furry animal, and flowers\" class=\"wp-image-477012\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Magician\u2019s Room\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Vintage board games and chalkboards become the aged frames for the artist\u2019s energetic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/lou-benesch\/\">mixed-media compositions<\/a>, while antique paper holds bold two-dimensional depictions of hybrid creatures and otherworldly happenings. <em>The Magician\u2019s Room<\/em> melds past and present and spiritual and physical into a fantastic alternate word where dreams and manifestation rule.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re in San Francisco, stop by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hashimotocontemporary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hashimoto Contemporary<\/a> to see the exhibition before it closes on August 22. Otherwise, keep up with Benesch on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/un_loup\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-DISTANT-CHAOS-2026.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477006\" title=\"\u201cDistant Chaos\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cDistant Chaos\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cDistant Chaos\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2533\" height=\"2019\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-DISTANT-CHAOS-2026.jpeg\" alt=\"a mystical work by lou benesch featuring a rabbit encircled in eyes\" class=\"wp-image-477010\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cDistant Chaos\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-SPIRIT-COMPASS-2026.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477006\" title=\"\u201cSpirit Compass\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cSpirit Compass\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cSpirit Compass\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1330\" height=\"1702\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-SPIRIT-COMPASS-2026.jpeg\" alt=\"a mystical work by lou benesch featuring birds with eyes on their bodies\" class=\"wp-image-477007\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSpirit Compass\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-FLOWERS-2026.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477006\" title=\"\u201cFlowers\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cFlowers\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cFlowers\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1627\" height=\"2498\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-FLOWERS-2026.jpeg\" alt=\"a mystical work by lou benesch featuring featuring a tree-like structure of pearls with flowers, eyes, doors, and more on each branch\" class=\"wp-image-477009\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cFlowers\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-Awake-II-2026.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477006\" title=\"\u201cAwake II\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cAwake II\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cAwake II\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1686\" height=\"2093\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lou-Benesch-Awake-II-2026.jpeg\" alt=\"a mystical work by lou benesch featuring an ox-like animal and organic shapes emerging from the top\" class=\"wp-image-477011\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cAwake II\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 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All images courtesy of Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission On Vintage Boards, Lou Benesch Conjures the Fantastic World of The Magician August 21, 2026 Art Grace Ebert Share Pin Email Copy Bookmark Enter The Magician\u2019s Room, and you\u2019ll encounter a brawny horse with a serpent coiled on its back, a flock of headless [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2104866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2104866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2104866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2104866\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2104866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2104866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2104866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}