Artist Statement
I'd always been drawn to repetition and variation—Monet painting the same haystack again and again, capturing different light and moments. Or Warhol repeating Marilyn's face in shifting colors. Monet chased something almost spiritual in perception; Warhol took a different approach, intentionally stripping away emotion into flat advertising sensibility.
As my work took shape it became evident that what developed in front of me was somewhere between those impulses, occupying mostly abstraction.
The iterative process that grew from my digital design experience plus this new found inspiration became what enthralled me then, and still—the excitement of discovering variations while essentially improvising, not unlike a jazz musician I suppose.
I later realized "make-ready" now echoed Duchamp's "readymades"—an unintentional wink and nod to art history. Whereas Duchamp took finished everyday objects and declared them art through recontextualized appropriation, I create layered abstract fragments never meant to be seen together, finding inspiration in what was destined for re-purposed materials.
Each work begins as built up layering of type and images until I reach the result I’m after. The original limited edition of (9) are silk screened—the Warhol way, with two artist proofs mounted on panel. The iterations exist as digital files awaiting the printing of signed and numbered limited edition archival digital pigment prints.
–Benj Čziller, Ojai CA
MAKE READY, 1985-2025, ’Well-involved Vacant Structures’ Iterative series’ 1-6
‘After’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series One) 2025. 75” x 52” Original #1 (first shown in series): archival pigment print on panel. Forty (40) archival limited edition pigment prints on canson hot press.
‘Surprise Guest’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series Two) 2025. 75” x 52” Original #1 (first shown in series): archival pigment print on panel. Eight (8) archival limited edition pigment prints on canson hot press.
‘Indian Giver—Full Price” (Make Ready Iterative, Series Three) 2024. 40” x 54” Original #1 (first shown in series): archival pigment print on panel. Twenty eight (28) archival limited edition pigment prints on canson hot press.
‘Bars’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series Four) 2019-2023. #1, 64X32, Original #1 (first shown in series): archival pigment print on panel. Twelve (12) archival limited edition archival pigment prints on canson hot press.
‘Attach Photos’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series Five) 2019-2020. 70” x 52” Original Number 1 (first shown in series); archival pigment print on panel. Twenty four (24) archival limited edition pigment prints on canson hot press.
‘Selections’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series Six) 2019-2023. 48 X 48. Original #1 (first shown in series): archival digital pigment print on panel. Ninety six (96) iterative limited edition archival digital pigment prints on Canson hot press.
‘Give Me An S’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series Seven) 2019-2020. 20” x 20” Original #1 (first shown in series): archival pigment print on panel. Twelve (12) archival limited edition pigment prints on canson hot press.
‘If I Had My Way’ (Make Ready Iterative, Series Eight) 2025. 42” x 42” Original #1 (first shown in series): archival pigment print on panel. Twenty four (24) archival limited edition pigment prints on canson hot press.
