Life story:

Ben was born in the East Yorkshire town of Beverley and raised in the Lancashire  metropolis that is Chorley.  He went on to study Fine Art at NEWI (now Glyndwr University) in Wrexham graduating in 2006.

Having made his home in North Wales, he  works at Castle Fine Arts where he has worked on many major art works including the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.

His own sculptures have been slowly growing in popularity with buyers coming from far and wide including the Netherlands and Wigan.

© Ben Broadbent 2010

I generally finish a sculpture a few strides from the finish line - very much in full sprint, unfettered and beautiful in the moment, before slowing on the inevitable return to earth, the line and the judging. This is my approach to the making of absorbing sculpture, were subjects are captured in their decisive moment, seething with life and itching to move.

In my wildlife sculpture I hope to encapsulate the heart stopping interaction between tame human and wild animal. The infinite split second when that rare icon of the retreating wilds stumbles into your path, and all else melts away. Life, motivation and language impossibly opposite, suddenly shared in a frozen moment of mutual contemplation.

I feel the need to celebrate transience more than ever in a culture of ‘sky plus’, ‘instant replay’ and ‘on demand television’. Sometimes, we don’t have to be in control.

Through abstraction I hope to leave an active role for the viewer in all my sculpture. There are decisions still to be made and questions that have yet to be answered. These sculptures are simply not mine anymore.

I try to strike a balance between concept and form. I use the angles and shapes of the component parts to capture the essence of the whole, for instance, a predominance of jagged pieces for the more energetic or aggressive animals. I feel that it is this attempt to sculpt the essence rather than the form that keeps the sculptures loose and fresh.

My sculpture degree and years of meticulous metal working at ‘Castle Fine Arts Bronze Foundry’ in Wales have given me an appreciation of form, and respect for the modelling skill of the artist which I try to uphold. However, in contrast to the scrupulous attention to detail of my day job, I attack sculpture with vigour and don’t worry too much about leaving a tool mark here, or a dent there.

I use metal because it’s tough and has ideas of its own. It’s malleable, but doesn’t surrender without a fight which leaves the inevitable scars and creases. These are the the moments I sculpt for, embracing the surrender of control. I feel my most successful sculptures are the ones that I have left to there own devices rather than stifling them with my intentions.

My sculpture stands as a result of the unseen struggle that brought it to its decisive moment, displaying age and character in every mark.

I particularly enjoy the irony of creating something new that is instantly old. I choose to let my sculptures rust for this reason, allowing the piece the time it needs to mellow, age and evolve with the weather and the seasons. I much prefer this semblance of a natural life cycle over keeping the piece ‘Tupperware’ fresh in some sterile gallery.
 

Ben Broadbent ‘New Rust projects 2009/2010’