My photographs are not windows to the world but a reimagining of that world. Using my camera to transform three-dimensional spaces into lines, shapes, textures, and forms, I create black and white compositions that hover between the figurative and the abstract. Whether I am shooting a landscape or a close-up image, my compositions present the familiar in a new way, sometimes literally turning the world upside down.

When I was young, I spent my summers silk screening, making woodblock prints and doing other art projects with my mother, who was a talented artist in her own right. I discovered photography in art school, excited to find a universal language that allowed me to express myself precisely and purposely. Since then, I have maintained a life-long photographic practice, even during my tenure as an art director. While I still work in other mediums, I am most drawn to try ideas that can only be realized through photography.

I spend my morning on my porch with a cup of coffee, waiting for the sun to rise and the shadows to fall. I work only when I am especially inspired to be creative. In this flow state, fully immersed, time is transformed. Drawing from my background in art direction, my practice is careful and methodical. I consider every element of an image before shooting. While all my work is made with intention, I leave it to the viewer to decipher their own meaning.

—David Bence, Artist Statement, 2023