Ben Barrell tells us about his approach to furniture.

 

“My work has sold to both the super wealthy and someone from a council house in Plymouth, who bought a bench with the Own Art scheme” says Ben, whose sculptural benches for private homes or public spaces have been bought by clients including Melvin Bragg and Kim Wilkie.

 

For Ben whose work manages to combine a minimalist sculptural aesthetic with the practicalities of a weather resistant functional form “Furniture is about problem solving, it’s a practical material problem, whereas sculpture is more emotional, combining the two is fulfilling in different ways.” Ben made his first bench eight years ago and his move towards furniture came after the public kept sitting on his sculpture at his degree show, “I enjoyed that interaction” and “it’s harder to make furniture than sculpture because you are limited to certain heights that fit the body, but I enjoy that challenge” says Ben. “You are getting a bench and sculpture with my work, the functional side leads people into my work very easily”

 

Ben’s works from a large draughty space in a farmer’s out building, forming and casting his benches with a mix of resin, aggregates and fibre glass, as well as currently developing seating with a new recycled plastic wood. Ben’s initial forms are sculpted from a lump of foam or plaster, working intuitively, mentally referencing the suggestion of boat forms, sailing or life drawings. His ‘Crescent Bench’ has been his most successful piece to date and recent work includes a large commission for Havant Arts Centre with a crushed glass bench planned for a show garden at Chelsea Flower Show later this year.

 

Recent clients have come through either word of mouth, an advert placed in ESI External Works directory, or from benches Ben had at Hampton Court Flower Show in 1996.

 

As Ben’s business develops he would like to start out sourcing manufacturers, working from his designs and maquettes “My skill is in the designing of the piece, there are guys out there that can make them much better than me”, but Ben does not want to start employing people “I don’t want a factory of fifteen people, I would rather cut the profit and outsource. I don’t want to become a manager”.

 

Ben’s commission for Havant Arts Centre has been six months worth of work, and on the night of the private view (May 13^th 2006), he will be collaborating with Cscape a dance group form Cornwall and Ruth Wall a harpist, who will perform a dance and musical response to his sculptural benches.

 

On working in Cornwall, “It’s the lifestyle, when I’m not really busy I can drop tools and go surfing, which happens less and less, but the potential is always there!”

 

 

Jessie Higginson, March 2006