BEAUTY: Sculpture--Stephen Benwell

The wonderfully colorful, visceral figures of Australian artist Stephen Benwell come from a fascinating source of inspiration:

For the last decade Benwell has focussed on a series of ceramic statues — this series of works was first approached through an investigation of 18th century figurines and later developed to incorporate the poise and grandeur of Greco-Roman statuary. Benwell's figures subtly illustrate a forlorn image of the male nude, happenstance of contemporary desire, situated within the ballast of the statuary tradition and images of masculinity. These works are enlivened by a painterly touch, illuminated in chalky, pastel hues. A multifaceted approach to ceramic is the bedrock of Benwell's practice, where traditions of sculpture, ceramic and painting converge in delicate harmony.

https://stephenbenwell.com/home

BEAUTY: Ceramics--Stephen Benwell

The ceramic work of Australian artist Stephen Benwell is quite varied with vessels, vases, and objects, but it is his sculptural work that caught my attention. His small nude male figures reference classical works of antiquity, but they are rendered with the very modern, painterly touch of random colorful glazes. The palette is unexpected and the marvelous, rough expression of the figures is engaging.

When I visited his website, I discovered an exhibition he created called "Collection" in which he directly references classical figures and sculpture with intriguing groupings of small objects (looking like unearthed fragments from a Roman archaeological dig), busts, and figures in vitrines.

His work brings to mind the work of Alison Schulnik. I blogged about her incredible film "Mound" here. Take a look.

http://stephenbenwell.com/home