Fletcher C. Benton (February 25, 1931 – June 26, 2019) was an American sculptor and painter from San Francisco, California.[1] Benton was widely known for his kinetic art as well as his large-scale steel abstract geometric sculptures.
Born in the coal, nugget and iron-producing district of southern Ohio, Benton was a successful sign painter as a youth. After serving in the United States Navy, he graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1956.[2] Thereafter he moved to San Francisco, and began as an instructor at the California College of Arts and Crafts and then went to Europe, traveling by his motorcycle through Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium and France; he spent some time in Paris and then in New York and later moved back to San Francisco.[3]
Benton was a part of the Beatnik movement in San Francisco during the ‘50s and ‘60s working as a sign painter by day and an expressionist artist (painting) by night. In 1961, he had a solo exhibition at the California Palace Legion of Honor, showing his portraits of fellow artists like David Simpson and William Morehouse. Frustrated with the limitations of paint on canvas, Benton began to work with movement in geometric pattern pieces and boxes which he was familiar with from his work in commercial signs. This was at the beginning of the kinetic movement; Benton worked largely in isolation, unaware of other efforts of kinetic artists. His early works of this series were exhibited at Gump's Gallery in San Francisco.
In the late 1970s, he abandoned kinetic art, switching to more traditional media for sculpture: bronze and steel.[5] These works are designed to be viewed from all angles and have often been characterized as new constructivism; he worked in this style until his death in 2019. Some of his most popular series in this style are the Folded Square Alphabets and Numericals, Folded Circle, Donuts, and Steel Watercolors.[3][4]
Benton has large-scale steel sculptures permanently installed world-wide including San Francisco's Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall,[5] Grounds For Sculpture sculpture park in Hamilton, NJ,[6] the city of Cologne, Germany, the city of Berlin, among others.
de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, Fletcher Benton, Going Around the Corner with X, 2008, painted steel, Gift of the artist with assistance from Paula Kirkeby, in honor of William Rewak, S.J., 2013.4.1.
In 2008, Fletcher Benton was a recipient of the International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award.[10] In 1993 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Miami University at the Miami University Art Museum. His sculpture Folded Circle Two Squares was the founding piece and one of the signature sculptures of the Miami University's 3 acre Sculpture Park which now features works by Mark di Suvero, Nancy Holt, and others. In 1995, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters by the University of Rio Grande, located in Gallia County, Ohio.
References
^. www.fletcherbenton.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
^"Fletcher Benton". Jean Albano Gallery. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
Fletcher Benton papers, 1934–2014 in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
August 19, 2023
fletcher, benton, fletcher, benton, february, 1931, june, 2019, american, sculptor, painter, from, francisco, california, benton, widely, known, kinetic, well, large, scale, steel, abstract, geometric, sculptures, bornfletcher, benton, 1931, february, 1931jack. Fletcher C Benton February 25 1931 June 26 2019 was an American sculptor and painter from San Francisco California 1 Benton was widely known for his kinetic art as well as his large scale steel abstract geometric sculptures Fletcher BentonBornFletcher C Benton 1931 02 25 February 25 1931Jackson Ohio U S DiedJune 26 2019 2019 06 26 aged 88 San Francisco California U S NationalityAmericanAlma materMiami UniversityKnown forSculpture paintingSpouse s Marjorie Ann Fisher Roberta N Lee Contents 1 Life 2 Public collections 3 Works 4 Awards 5 References 6 Further reading 7 Interviews 8 External linksLife Edit Folded Square D Offenbach Germany 1981Born in the coal nugget and iron producing district of southern Ohio Benton was a successful sign painter as a youth After serving in the United States Navy he graduated from Miami University Oxford Ohio with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1956 2 Thereafter he moved to San Francisco and began as an instructor at the California College of Arts and Crafts and then went to Europe traveling by his motorcycle through Scandinavia Holland Belgium and France he spent some time in Paris and then in New York and later moved back to San Francisco 3 Benton was a part of the Beatnik movement in San Francisco during the 50s and 60s working as a sign painter by day and an expressionist artist painting by night In 1961 he had a solo exhibition at the California Palace Legion of Honor showing his portraits of fellow artists like David Simpson and William Morehouse Frustrated with the limitations of paint on canvas Benton began to work with movement in geometric pattern pieces and boxes which he was familiar with from his work in commercial signs This was at the beginning of the kinetic movement Benton worked largely in isolation unaware of other efforts of kinetic artists His early works of this series were exhibited at Gump s Gallery in San Francisco In the late 1970s he abandoned kinetic art switching to more traditional media for sculpture bronze and steel 5 These works are designed to be viewed from all angles and have often been characterized as new constructivism he worked in this style until his death in 2019 Some of his most popular series in this style are the Folded Square Alphabets and Numericals Folded Circle Donuts and Steel Watercolors 3 4 Benton has large scale steel sculptures permanently installed world wide including San Francisco s Louise M Davies Symphony Hall 5 Grounds For Sculpture sculpture park in Hamilton NJ 6 the city of Cologne Germany the city of Berlin among others Public collections Edit Steel Watercolor Triangle Ring Cologne Germany 1993His work is included in the collections of the Oakland Museum of California Oakland California 7 Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee Metropolitan Museum of Art Brooklyn Museum Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Whitney Museum of American Art Minneapolis Institute of Art Grounds For Sculpture 6 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Stanford Museum of Art Albright Knox Art Gallery Denver Art Museum 8 The Victoria and Albert Museum Cedars Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles citation needed Laumeier Sculpture Park 9 Klingspor Museum Offenbach Germany Rockefeller Collection Sheldon Museum of Art Boulevard Jacqmain corner in Brussels Belgium de Saisset Museum Santa Clara University Fletcher Benton Going Around the Corner with X 2008 painted steel Gift of the artist with assistance from Paula Kirkeby in honor of William Rewak S J 2013 4 1 Works EditTilted Donut Wedge with Two Balls Besselpark Berlin Donut No 3 Laumeier Sculpture Park St Louis Missouri Replica of Titled Donut Wedge with Two Balls Awards EditIn 2008 Fletcher Benton was a recipient of the International Sculpture Center s Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award 10 In 1993 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Miami University at the Miami University Art Museum His sculpture Folded Circle Two Squares was the founding piece and one of the signature sculptures of the Miami University s 3 acre Sculpture Park which now features works by Mark di Suvero Nancy Holt and others In 1995 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters by the University of Rio Grande located in Gallia County Ohio References Edit Fletcher Benton www fletcherbenton com Archived from the original on August 14 2018 Retrieved June 27 2016 Fletcher Benton Jean Albano Gallery Retrieved 2023 05 07 a b 1 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on February 26 2014 Retrieved February 19 2014 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Civic Center Public Art and Architecture from Around the World Artandarchitecture sf com Retrieved 2023 05 07 a b 2 Fletcher Benton Oakland Museum of California Retrieved 2023 05 07 Sculptors on View at Grounds For Sculpture Fletcher Benton Donut No 3 Laumeier Sculpture Park Archived from the original on February 23 2014 Retrieved February 19 2014 International Sculpture Center website Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award page Retrieved 24 January 2010 Further reading EditRatcliff Carter Chattopadhyay Collette amp Leisegang Jolei 2008 Fletcher Benton An American Artist Hudson Hills Press LLC ISBN 978 1 55595 296 9 Link label Edward Lucie Smith Paul J Karlstrom November 1990 Fletcher Benton Link label George Neubert January 1 2002 The New Constructivism of Fletcher Benton Acatos Editions Link label David Finn November 8 2005 Fletcher Benton The Alphabet Ruder Finn Press Link label Peter Selz Collette Chattopadhyay Diane Ghirado September 16 2009 Fletcher Benton The Kinetic Years Hudson Hills Press LLC Link labelInterviews EditKQED Spark segment on Fletcher Benton Original air date March 2008 3 Karlstrom Paul Smithsonian Archives of American Art Oral history interview with Fletcher Benton 1989 May 2 4 4 Sonoma Valley Museum of Art presents The Artist s Studio on YouTube Original airdate October 2010 Fletcher Benton The Kinetic Years on YouTube External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fletcher Benton Official Website of the artist Fletcher Benton Artnet 5 De Saisset Museum 6 International Sculpture Center 7 Vernissage TV Fletcher Benton papers 1934 2014 in the Archives of American Art Smithsonian Institution Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fletcher Benton amp oldid 1153725138, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
