Ben Potter
Ben Potter
Representation and Abstraction
I am interested in the oscillation between representation and abstraction. I make
drawings, paintings and sculpture. Much of my work is derived from patterns found in
the local landscape landscape.
I see cornfields on the way to work, stacks of lumber, or traceries of current as the tides change. I work with the connotations of materials and the nuance they lend to the work. Materials such as plywood, soot and pollen have meaning beyond their mark-making qualities: construction, destruction, growth. Simple forms can have many layers of nuance.
As an undergraduate, I majored in both Art and Biology, and I remain deeply interested in the natural world. I work with students to help them understand that art can be a discipline of close observation and understanding of the environments we are embedded in.
Examples of my work and exhibitions can be seen at benpotterstudio.com.
Some recent projects and interests include:
Mural in Rockland ME
This large painting derived from a pattern of foam in a local stream. This effort was made possible through an artist residency with the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation and with help from the Maine Center for Contemporary Art and Hamilton Marine corporation.
Paintings and drawings from the landscape
I have a long-term fascination with patterns in the land. This image is an abstraction of a gravel pit used for road building. I exhibit my work in galleries, museums and other venues, and work with students to introduce them to the working of the contemporary art world.
Non-traditional materials
I use materials such as plastic, soot, pollen and ash in order to evoke connotations that enhance and complicate the work. The picture of my daughter is made from discarded plastic grocery bags, and the yellow sculpture is coated in pollen that was gathered from a local cattail marsh. A huge variety of materials are employed in the contemporary practice of art, and I work with students to understand this language.
