Projects
Benjamin Ewing
Exploring the Intersection of Art and AAC
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Ewing´s artist journey began with painting but his fascination with traditional stone sculpture was always present. In 2018, while browsing for art supplies, he stumbled upon a beginners sculpting kit tucked away on the bottom shelf consisting of a block of soap stone, a set of chisels, and a mallet. The shop owner said no one had bought it in years and that they would give it to him for a significantly marked down deal.
Ewing started experimenting with the block of soap stone and has been hooked ever since. The Artist began researching other types of carving stone that he could source locally. This led him to another Portland sculptor artist, named Carole Murphy, who was offering artistic design classes with AAC. Ewing contacted her and was able to source several blocks of AAC. In time, Murphy and Ewing decided to split a full palette of AAC and were fortunate enough to find Northwest AAC, out of Bend, Oregon. Drawing from his upbringing watching his father carve wood, Ewing applied similar principles to AAC, finding a natural affinity for working in three dimensions.
Working in 3D came naturally to him and felt more intuitive than his experiences with painting. Unlike his methodical approach to painting, Ewing found that sculpture provided a different, more meditative mode of thinking. Making hundreds of small decisions, fully masked up, with goggles, gloves, and a respirator. This way he could get lost in the process of an extremely tangible practice. AAC’s soft malleable quality offers an ease of workflow to work relatively quickly in comparison to harder traditional carving stones, which has been incredible for him as he continues to sharpen his sculpting practice. Its pumice like surface and lightweight mass also eased the challenges of installations and shipping, further enhancing his sculpting practice.
Ewing has showcased his AAC sculptures in exhibitions across Montreal, Portland, and New York. His first solo exhibition, held in May of 2023, consisted of eight oil paintings and six AAC sculptures. During this exhibition, he successfully explored connection between sculptures and paintings, using them as backdrops to create dialogue between the two mediums. Many attendees were surprised to learn about this relatively unknown material in the art scene.
Today, Ewing´s practice revolves around alternating between oil painting and sculpture in his studio in Portland, Oregon. He has designated his primary sculpture studio on the main floor and an upper painting mezzanine. Eager to expand his repertoire, he is keen on experimenting with materials such as alabaster and marble. Currently he is working on a new body of work, that will consist of many oil paintings and some new AAC experiments. These experiments involve joining blocks to form larger totems and even creating concrete lighting sculptures. Additionally, he is intrigued by the prospect of utilizing AAC on a larger scale for future architectural projects, as he plans to construct a home and studio. This endeavor will not only showcase the material's structural capabilities but also its expressive potential in architectural design.
