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Benjamin Vasserman has worked as a creative artist for more than twenty years. His debut as an artist on an exhibition was in 1978, a year before graduation from the Academy of Art. By that time Estonian contemporary graphic arts had reached the stage of alteration that was characterised by introversion. There were many productive graphic artists, print was still in the focus of criticismīs attention, yet loosing its reputation of singularity that had accompanied this branch of art in earlier times. In a word, Estonian graphic arts were so "ready" that accession to such established micro-environment was not easy. This was one and probably the main reason why Benjamin Vasserman had his first personal exhibition only in 1987. The other reason was certainly the fact that due to circumstances, creative work was not his main field of occupation, but an activy besides and after making a living.
He gained more artistic freedom only after becoming a freelancer artist in 1990.

If before the first personal exhibition the etchings of Benjamin Vasserman that were accurately realised, showed respectable drawing ability and were characterised by romantic tone, rendered the idea of the artistīs creative makings, then with the works created in 1987 he found a more original and specific path of creative work. Treading
on it steadily, he has achieved the present level that is recognised internationally.

At first, at the end of 1980īs and in the beginning of 1990īs the work of the artist was characterised by precise presentment of the clearcut world of objects, whereby associations of objects were uncommon and connections between them were staggering. Further development advanced the artist by one more step – towards depicting of specific worlds of fantasy, whereby illusion of different materials has been taken to the maximum verge of graphic-technical possibilities of manual work.

The change in the essence of the artistīs creation can well be characterised by the opinion of experts. In 1992
Sirje Helme wrote in her review of Benjamin Vassermanīs free graphics: "There is silent absurd in his way of connecting objects, yet it is a delicate and friendly game between objects... Viewer recognises things around
him and pleasingly adops this benevolent, friendly absurdity presented by artist in his works".

Five years later the Canadian art observer Joan Richardson gives a picture of the essential features of the artistīs latest works trought the analysis of the work "Regal Height (Hommage au Sylvia & Helmut)": "No landscape, not even a horizon is there to explain how the viewer comes to be looking down on this colossal, alien edifice. With convincing three-dimensional illusion, Vasserman lures the imagination into magical space".

The striving for metaphysics and aspiration to way of depicting that is more general, more imaginative and more fanciful than the everyday reality, marks simultaneously the wider scope of ideas in the works and increasing of the artistīs specificity. There is no creator among contemporary Estonian graphic artists close to
Benjamin Vasserman.

The treatment that differs from earlier ones originates partly from the altered working method of the artist, that
has been developed since 1993 and that has no analogue in the Estonian practice of graphic arts. Namely, in the course of planning of a work, Benjamin Vasserman makes three-dimensional models, on the basis of which he thereafter realises the print. Maybe work methods (that usually remain outside the eyeshot of viewer and, in most cases, of art critic) should not be too accentuated, but in this case they seem to have an immediate relation to
the creative achievements of the artist in the recent years.

The mentioned, somewhat anchoretic, detached position of Benjamin Vasserman in the general impression of
the Estonian graphic arts is accentuated by his scarce appearance in homeland and intensive participation on exhibitions abroad. In six years (1992-1998) no exhibitions of the artist took place in Estonia, however, there were some ten of them abroad (in Finland, Germany, Denmark). Especially conspicuous is his participation in
international biennials and triennials of graphic arts: in the last five years Vasserman has presented his works on more than twenty-five significant exhibitions, most of which had particular qualification juries. As an observable
result of these appearances, since 1994 Benjamin Vasserman was granted a special prize or honourable mention
on five international exhibitions. His works like "Ascent II" (1994), "Escalation" (1996), "Consideration" (1998; all
in etching and aquatint technique) have won him international recognition and added acknowledgement of
Estonian print graphic art. This could, in its turn, sharpen the domestic look on the artistīs current stage of
creation.

Juri Hain      Anno 1999