Young Iowa City artist brings dystopian ‘nAMUH’ tale to museum

Ryan Bentzinger says his 'heart fluttered' when he saw his watercolor paintings hanging in the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art's first-floor galleries last week.

'I'm just in awe,' he says.

The 74 paintings from the first chapter of his post-apocalyptic tale, 'nAMUH' — 'human' spelled backward and pronounced 'na-moo' — look entirely different in the galleries than taped to his studio walls in storyboard fashion.

They vary in size, because he likes to work big, but he also pulled back when characters were having smaller, sometimes single-word conversations between his post-human animal/monster/robots — based on his friends — living in a world nearly destroyed by humans.

'To see them framed and in chronological order and beautifully hung — you always have this idea in your head, and it definitely blew that idea out of the water,' says Bentzinger, 26, a Pella native now living in Iowa City. 'I was very impressed and excited.

'This is my baby. I've been working on it for three years, and I feel that getting it presented — damn, I'm at a loss for words. It's very inspiring and heartwarming, and it's hard to believe it's happening now.'

It's happening now, because of fortuitous circumstances.

Even though Bentzinger is a painter and earned a degree in studied studio art with honors in education at the University of Iowa in 2011, he took an intro class from world-renown metalsmith and recently retired professor Chunghi Choo, and eventually became her assistant. She introduced his work to Sean Ulmer, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

Then it was Ulmer's turn to be blown away.

'One of the things that really attracted me to his work is the way he understands the medium of watercolor,' Ulmer says. 'How he pushes it to do what he wants it to do, but also allows it to be what it is — allows it to flow where it wants to flow, which watercolor does. ...

'That kind of mastery is something you don't find, generally speaking, in 26-year-old artists,' he says. 'He really understands it and realizes that by allowing watercolor to do what watercolor does, it actually enhances the story. It actually adds something to the content of the story, and reminds you as a viewer, that it is, at the end of the day, still a work of art.'

It took a while for Ulmer to find a logical place to program an exhibition, since science fiction and fantasy are rarely displayed in art museums. But when organizers of the upcoming ICON 40 science fiction and fantasy convention inquired about exhibiting works by their guest artists, everything fell into place.

The ICON pieces are on exhibit in an upstairs gallery through Jan. 3 and Bentzinger's work is featured on the first floor through Jan. 17. Both exhibits coincide with ICON's convention at the nearby Doubletree Hotel from Oct. 16 to 18. Lots of crossover programming is planned to bring convention-goers to the museum, as well as introduce museum visitors of all ages to the colorful realm of sci-fi and fantasy art.

In Bentzinger's exhibit, they'll see the first chapter of his 261-page book, which he's hoping will be in print by the holidays. A mock-up will be on view, as well. Visitors can pre-order the finished product through the museum, and eventually, through his website, Ryanbentzinger.com

While the works in the exhibit were done in various sizes, the book will measure 9 inches by 12 inches.

Ironically, Bentzinger trained primarily in acrylics and oils. He started experimenting with watercolor during an eight-week enrichment course in Rome in June and July 2014.

'Now I'm very comfortable with the medium and understand it, but at the time, it was a form of play. It was a new discovery, and I think that's why it might be successful,' he says. 'I feel like if an artist is with a medium for a long time, you know all the tips, you know all the tricks, what it's supposed to be, (that) is when the artist starts saying, 'I'm learning how to unlearn the rules.'

'Since I didn't know watercolor, I didn't really know the rules. So I think it was a blessing in disguise, or just a blessing, that I got to see what it was all about. I really love pouring the water on the paper first, and then putting a splash of watercolor down and letting it do the work because it wouldn't go outside the water boundary you put down.'

He's going outside the boundaries to make his fears known.

His interest in science fiction creatures and dystopias grew out of his youthful fascination with role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, as well as Pokemon and animé. While student teaching in New Zealand, he drew inspiration from the Middle Earth settings that provided the backdrop for the 'Lord of the Rings' movies.

'nAMUH' reflects 'a childhood mixed with my friends and art community at the time,' he says. 'I put that all together and made a story out of it.'

It's also a cautionary tale about the price of societal ills and excesses.

'If you're reading the undertones and notes at the beginning, it's a commentary on how we treat the planet. We are blowing out our ozone, and all the pharmaceutical medicine and the unfair distribution of wealth,' says Bentzinger, who teaches art three days a week at Willowwind School in Iowa City.

'Those are very important issues to me, but I'm not someone who stands on the street and hands people fliers or blogs about the research. I just don't have the patience for that,' he says.

'This story is my way of being able to relay that message and my beliefs on let's be better to our planet by telling (what) on the surface is a story about monsters and robots trying to discover a mystery, but underneath it all, it's political maybe.'

IF YOU GO

• What: Ryan Bentzinger: 'nAMUH'
• Where: Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids
• When: Through Jan. 17
• Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
• Admission: $3 to $7 adults, $6 college students and seniors ages 62 and older, $3 ages 6 to 18, free ages 5 and younger
• Details:

  Crma.org

• Sci-Fest: Family Fun Day: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17, family friendly projects and activities; free museum admission; free artist-led 'Out of This World' tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., free 'nAMUH' tours at noon and 1 p.m.
• Art Bites: Ryan Bentzinger discusses his work and 'nAMUH' exhibition, 12:15 p.m. Nov. 4, free admissionl Related exhibit: 'Out of This World: Science Fiction and Fantasy Art,' featuring guest artists from ICON science fiction and fantasy conventions, through Jan. 3; ICON artist meet-and-greet from noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18; Chats & Autographs with 'Out of this World' artist Phil Hester, 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 14, free with paid admission l Related event: ICON 40, Iowa's longest-running science fiction and fantasy convention, Oct. 16 to 18 at Doubletree by Hilton, 350 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids; daily and weekend passes, $10 to $65, free for ages 7 and younger, details at

  Iowa-icon.com