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| Artist - Simon Benn Hello... and welcome to my website!... My background is quite diverse ranging from working as a plasterer to colour correcting photographs in Photoshop at a local newspaper. Sculpture first grabbed me in 1997 when I walked into a sculpting studio just outside Christchurch in New Zealand. It was here that I first believed in the magic that is sculpture!! Since then, I have worked part time as an artist and gradually built up a portfolio of work and been involved in various exhibitions. Since 2003, I began making water features and garden art on contract for a handful of larger companies that reproduce my work and sell Australia wide... the chances are, you have seen some of my work in garden centres around the place. In 2006 I renamed my business, Chisel Studio, because it represents a quirky, yet true nature of me and my craft. My aim is to create original and well designed sculptured forms that inspire and please the souls of others, like it does for me! Enjoy Simon Benn C.V. Born 27 March 1973 in Sheerness, Kent, England. Emmigrated with family to EXHIBITIONS 1998 Gallery 45, Christchurch, New Zealand 2001 The Place on Unley, Unley, Australia 2002 Tomlinson Fine art Gallery, Adelaide, Australia 2002 Glenelg Fine Art Gaallery, Glenelg, Australia 2003 Tomlinson Fine Art Galery, Adelaide, Australia 2003 Smart Art, Adelaide, Australia 2005 Arterial Gallery, Parkside, Australia 2005 Prince Alfred College, Kent Town, Australia 2005 St Catherine’s Catholic School, Stirling, Australia 2006 Scotch College, Adelaide 2006 St. Johns Grammar school, Belair, Australia 2007 Art Images, Norwood, Australia PRIVATE COLLECTIONS J & J Sheahan, St. Georges, South Australia J & S Cox, Coromandel Valley, South Australia BIBLIOGRAPHY “Simon’s Sculpting a Career” Messenger Newspaper, March, 2002 “Firm Favourite” Adelaide Matters, September, 2005 “Carved in Stone” Outdoor Design & Living issue #12, 2005 Simon Benn - Portfolio Craft Arts International Issue # 65, 2005 “Presenting Simon Benn” Kool Results Newsletter, November 2005 AWARDS AND GRANTS 2006 New Enterprise Incentive Scheme EDUCATION 1990 Croyden Park TAFE College, South Australia 1997 Christchurch Teaching College, New Zealand 1997 Canterbury University, New Zealand 1998 Christchurch Teaching College, New Zealand 2002 Adobe Training, Adelaide 2006 Mission Australia, Adelaide RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE 1998 Gallery 45, Christchurch, New Zealand 1999 Part-time sculptor 2001 Rural Press - Stock Journal Newspapers 2003 Freelance Graphic Designer 2005 Creative Castings, Lonsdale, South Australia PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS CraftSouth Centre for Contemporary Craft & Design NAVA National Association for the Visual Arts Country Arts SA Arts in the Country Viscopy Copyright protection for artists in Australia SIA Stone Industry Association of South Australia MBA Master Builder Association of South Australia GALLERY REPRESENTATIONS Art In’t Asia 41-43 Graham St, Tin On Sing Commercial Building, Hong Kong, China Arterial Gallery 60 Glen Osmond Road, Parkside, South Australia - 08 8373 1001 Art Images 30 Norwood Parade, Norwood, South Australia - 08 8363 0806 Water Motion Energy 84-86 Leader Street, Forrestville, South Australia - 08 8297 7000 Maison 52 Rundle Road, Kent Town, South Australia - 08 8363 9266 Slver Earth 199 Portrush Road, Norwood, South Australia - 08 8361 3288 Niche Concepts 236 Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton, South Australia - 08 8338 7788 STATEMENT Most of what I have wanted to say in recent years has most probably been better expressed through my sculpture. Words alone wouldn’t have said enough and I needed to learn a new language. This language comes from within and, like any native tongue, it feels natural. I studied art and design after year 12 in Adelaide, but I found my true voice in 1998 whilst living in New Zealand. One evening, I took a lesson in stone carving under the guidance of a Maori artist and from that day I was hooked. Nothing else, it seemed, had ever felt so right. I was a student at Christchurch Teacher’s College with little money and they let me sweep the floors and clean up after classes just so I could use the tools and space. I wanted to be there all the time, and so I finally dropped the idea of being a primary school teacher to follow my passion. Some thought I was mad. If you were to ask me where my passion comes from, I would tell you that it comes from my need to create art. There is so much that I find inspirational that I often cannot work fast enough to get it all out. Like the wind filling up the sail, I often have no idea where it comes from; I just make the most of it. Carving stone is incredibly healing, satisfying, challenging and necessary for me. |