Lattitudes

Christchurch-based sculptor Graham Bennett recently presented a new exhibition called Latitudes at The Arthouse, here in Christchurch (Sept 16 – October 4). The show is theoretically over but when I drove past the gallery last weekend, his works were still in situ, still glinting in the sun, still casting small and miraculous shadows across the inside and outside of the building. I HAD to stop and take some long distance photos – little fragments of detail, slithers of shadow and reflection, a tangle of components and ideas. I’ve written about Bennett’s work on this blog before and he also features in my Artist Studio Series, which you can see by clicking on either name in the label line below. It’s been a busy year for Bennett. In 2008-2009 he’s had solo shows in Japan, Hong Kong, and Waiheke Island; and he’s created stunning collaborative works with Dunedin fashion designer, Donna Tulloch, which were shown at Dunedin’s ID Fashion Week and also later exhibited in Japan to coincide with Yokohama’s Triennale of Contemporary Art. (I’ve also featured these stunning smaller pieces on this blog – “When Sculpture Meets Fashion”). The year has also seen Bennett show large works at Waiheke Island’s terrific ‘headland – Sculpture on the Gulf’ and in Sculpture in Central Otago, another large outdoor exhibition staged at Rippon Vineyard in Wanaka. In addition to the interior works at The Arthouse’s new show, Bennett also created a new work – Orbit – which, at eight metres high, has been installed outside the gallery. You can find out more about Graham by checking his website: www.bennettsculpture.info www.thearthouse.co.nz

Artist Studios - 9

Graham Bennett, Christchurch. July 2008. Ajr

One of my favourite artist studios belongs to Christchurch sculptor, Graham Bennett, who in fact spreads his creativity over two big studios – one in his house, the other a large warehouse space given over to the necessary machines of large scale sculpture making. But it’s his home studio that inspires me most. There his ideas and inspirations spread all through an upstairs studio that sneaks into every available inch of roof space. It’s filled with drawings, models, marquettes and the quirky collectibles he surrounds himself with. It’s a hive of activity just now, as Graham works towards two exhibitions at Galerie Paris in Yokohama, Japan in September – one a collaboration with Dunedin fashion designer, Donna Tulloch of Mild Red; the other a solo show of his sculptures. From there he makes a hasty visit to Shanghai before opening his solo sculpture show at Gallery Koru in Hong Kong in October. He’s also been accepted for Sculpture in the Gulf 2009, the biennial outdoor sculpture exhibition placed along a 2-kilometre long public walkway at Matiatia Harbour, Waiheke Island. And that’s just some of his current projects – projects that can be as small as a piece of jewellery (see here) or as big as a sculpture that reaches 18-metres into the air (see here). www.bennettsculpture.info

When Sculpture Meets Fashion

Bennett/MildRed collaborations, Dunedin ID Fashion Show 2007 & 2008. Images supplied
When well known Christchurch sculptor, Graham Bennett joins forces with leading Dunedin fashion designer, Donna Tulloch of MildRed, the creative sparks fly. The result is a stunning selection of body sculptures designed to compliment MildRed’s unique sculptural garments. The two have collaborated previously for both the 2007 and 2008 Dunedin ID Fashion shows and now they are creating works for “Latitude/Attitude,” consecutive exhibitions of their works to be shown at Galerie Paris, in Yokohama, Japan - Bennett from September 26-October 7 and MildRed from October 10-17th, 2008. Variations of Graham’s large scale sculptures will be used as a point of focus for the fashion show; and smaller works created in collaboration with Donna, will be shown as body sculptures and accessories in the MildRed fashion show. I LOVE artistic collaborations of any sort and when it comes to the cross-over between the fashion, art and jewellery worlds, I’m always slightly surprised and disappointed by the dearth of collaborations. This one is a breath of fresh air! www.bennettsculpture.info www.mild-red.co.nz