Joe Bennett

My drawings represent a delicate system in which efforts are undertaken to preserve mysterious objects and fragile structures whose sustainability are in question. They exist in an ambiguous time and place of their own. The objects are inspired by natural forms, nautical environments, and simplified versions of modern architecture. The delicate support systems work to uphold these fragile structures, though sometimes in nonsensical ways. Often it is unclear as to whether the objects and their habitats are being constructed or destroyed. The structures are meant to be seen as something rare and delicate, something that could not survive on its own. Using a mixture of materials creates a surface that has a sense of history. A worn, muted, texture evokes an atmosphere both visually and emotionally. I use scraps of collage along with gouache paint and drawing materials to represent the fragmentation of this space. Keeping the scale of the works small also allows the viewer to feel an intimacy when looking at them, as if they are looking through a telescope at an unexplored world.

Joseph Bennett is a Professor of Art at the University of Montevallo, teaching drawing since 2008. He earned his B.F.A. in Computer Art in 1995 and his M.F.A. in Illustration in 1998, both from the Savannah College of Art and Design. His drawings have been exhibited widely, including the Huntsville Museum of Art, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Manifest Gallery, and Georgia College & State University. His current work uses mixed drawing media including gouache paint, graphite, colored pencil, and charcoal to explore themes of structure and fragility in an abstract vein. His inspirations come from architectural form, nature, and the process of construction. They play with ideas of space and perception while making use of visual elements such as movement, patterning, and texture.

Space One Eleven Involvement: CCA Teaching Artist Summer 2021