blackbird spring 2002 vol.1 no. 1

GALLERY

BENJAMIN S. JONES  |  Selected Work

 

The Other Side of the Fence (detail), 2006
Steel, fiberglass, aluminum, light, paint
Approx 11’ x 11’ x 7’

Artist’s Statement

My works are hyperbolic amalgams that borrow from the worlds of design, architecture, engineering, urban planning and popular culture in order to make commentary on a rapidly shrinking world. Recurring themes in my works include commodification, defense and desire, as well as examining the relationships between things as a metonym of relationships among people. In my most recent works I approach this as a series of questions, or “what ifs.”

Put it all in a blender and see what comes out . . .

The resulting pieces are often as curious as they are confident and as awkward as they are proud. I try to maintain a sense of the hysterical and even the absurd, exploring these relationships through a kind of sculptural collage, a system in which ideas collide leaving in their wake a palette of impossible hybrids.

I generally approach each project anew, in search of a challenge and an opportunity to learn a new process. My methods range from traditional sculptural techniques to CAD design and digital imaging. This variety of techniques affords me the opportunity to work on several projects at a time, and encourages a cross-pollination of discreet elements.

—Benjamin S. Jones