A Means of Survival – A Lecture by Frank Benson

“The entire sculpture can fit on a flash drive.”

Frank Benson gave a lecture as part of the Leonard Hare Memorial Lecture Series at the University of Bristol. The Lectureship was established in 1946 in memory of George Hare Leonard, Professor of Modern History. Each year, a lecture is presented on fine arts. Benson discussed his practice as well as his sculpture, Castaway, which has recently been installed in Bristol’s Goldney Gardens.

Castaway (2019) (Photo: Ruby Salter)

Now on display in the expansive gardens of Goldney Hall, Bristol, is a life size bronze statue of Alexander Selkirk, the 18^th century mariner who was allegedly the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. Castaway depicts the mariner in a crouching position, eyes locked on a point ahead. The ship that eventually rescued Selkirk was funded by the Goldney family. As the title of the sculpture suggests, Benson imagines how a seaman may look if he had washed up ashore on a deserted island. Far from a simple portrait of Selkirk, the sculpture is more a representation of the fictional archetype of a ‘castaway’, the same figure portrayed by Tom Hanks in Cast Away or Matt Damon in The Martian. Benson’s depiction, topped with a strange shell-like hat and accompanied by a plastic detergent bottle, seems curious at first. Yet, as Benson outlined in his lecture, the sculpture is an amalgamation of ideas he has pursued throughout his artistic career.

The Martian

Currently living and working in Brooklyn, Benson originally hails from Virginia, and was educated in Maryland. He notes the influence of growing up by the coast, and seeing objects wash up on the beach. Often these items were repurposed and transformed, given a new lease of life. This seems to be a continuous theme in Benson’s work. Perhaps it is also this early influence which has spurred him on his path to explore new effects that can be achieved by materials and finding new functions for quite normal substances.

Melted Beer Pitcher (2002)

Photography was Benson’s initial exploration into experimental art. The first artwork he shows in the lecture is a photograph of a melted beer pitcher (2002). Benson talks passionately about the transformation that occurred when he placed a plastic pitcher in a microwave. The ‘found object’ underwent a metamorphosis, into another, unrecognisable object. He talks about how interested he is in the medium of photographing his sculptures. The very act of translating a 3D object into a 2D rendering changes how we understand it, there is an extra level of ambiguity, the object becomes far more mysterious.

Chocolate Fountain (2008)

This ambiguity of texture and material can be seen in his early experimental sculptures. Benson’s Chocolate Fountain (2008), is a fascinating play of function and substance. The ‘chocolate’ is in fact made from stainless steel and automotive paint. In some ways, it is similar to the art of the Surrealists, particularly Meret Oppenheim whose Breakfust in Fur is so alarmingly anti-function. In the same manner, even though it appears to be soft and mouth-wateringly liquid, the ‘chocolate’ s in fact hard and metallic.

Meret Oppenheim, Breakfust in Fur, 1936

His MDF Piece (2008) is equally as engaging. Here, Benson replicates the motion of a piece of paper falling to the floor, humorously rendered using heavy, dense wood. Like the artwork of Claes Oldenburg, Benson’s art is at once impractical, intriguing and witty.

MDF Piece, (2008)

Claes Oldenburg, Giant Soft Fan (1966)

Although Benson’s sculptures of people may seem to be of a different genre of art, they still engage with this fascination with material and transforming objects. A homage to street performers, Human Statue (2005) depicts a nude in silver paint. It is incredibly life like, helped by medical-grade glass eyes, and is often mistaken by gallery-goers as live performance art, rather than sculpture.

Human Statue (2005)

For his Human Statue (Jesse), Benson produced a 3D scan and print of the model. He uses a digital sculpting programme called Z-Brush. It is often used in sci-fi films and video games, which makes Benson’s sculptures a captivating blend of industrial design, fine arts and special effects. The method allows him to create numerous versions of the sculpture, and in 2011, he created a version with a stone dress. The stone was sourced from a quarry in Carrara, Italy, which has been carving stone into sculpture for centuries. It is now done using robots, a fascinating interplay of ancient and contemporary techniques and resources.

Human Statue (Jesse), 2008

Benson jokes that ‘the entire sculpture can fit on a flash-drive’. Although it is an off-the-cuff remark, it is an intriguing thought, as this really may represent the future for sculpting. Benson later tells me how, because he now has his sculptures saved in a 3D virtual format, the possibilities are endless, and he is in discussions with an AR (Augmented Reality) software producer about including his sculptures in a game. This really seems to be the ultimate metamorphosis: from one object into countless digital variations.

No other sculpture deals with the interplay of technology and art as beautifully as Juliana (2015). Rendered in flawless plastic and covered in oily, iridescent blue automotive paint, the piece seems otherworldly. Benson later mentions that Jeff Koons owns a version of Juliana and it isn’t hard to see why. The beautiful play of texture and material, and pushing the boundaries of technology and art is reminiscent of many of Koons’ sculptures. But really, Juliana, a video game character come to life, would surely put some balloon dogs to shame.

Benson’s three figurative sculptures are currently on display in Oslo, and are undoubtedly captivating in person.

Juliana, (2015)

Castaway seems to be the ultimate conclusion to Benson’s career of ideas (so far). Much like many of his earlier works inspired by ready-made or found pieces, Benson repurposes a horseshoe crab shell as the castaway’s hat. He says the shells would often wash up on shore during his childhood, and seem like alien creatures. Likewise, Tide detergent bottle swould also appear on beaches. Benson says he chose to use these items as the castaway’s hat and canteen, because he likes the idea that he would ‘repurpose found objects as a means of survival.’ Benson notes this is analogous with his position as an artist, finding objects, techniques and ideas to breathe new life into. The model himself, Joe, reflects the same mindset, posing in his own clothes, all sourced from thrift stores. Benson comments on his ‘scavenger-mentality’ and ‘resourcefulness’, creating an amazing outfit from found elements, making him the perfect castaway.

At a time when we search for ways to better reuse and recycle, whilst also pursuing ever more advanced technology, Benson’s works are entirely of the moment. Whilst being humorous, beautiful and accessible, they also comment on where we are as a species. Somewhere in the greenery of Goldney Gardens sits a bearded man, looking out from under a crab shell, at Bristol’s coast and wondering what might wash up next.

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