William Benson
Retrospective
40 years of paintings and drawings
Opening reception: Saturday, May 4, 4:00- 7:00pm
Gallery Hours:
Sun, May 5, 12:00 – 5:00pm
Sat/Sun, May 11 – 12, 12:00 – 5:00pm
Sat/Sun, May 18 – 19, 12:00 – 5:00pm
Closing reception: Saturday, May 25, 12:00 – 5:00pm
We are delighted to be hosting local artist-legend Bill Benson back to Saltonstall for this special exhibition in the residency’s accessible gallery space. Bill served as a volunteer member of Saltonstall’s board from 2008 to 2013. He has generously offered to donate 20% of all sales back to the Foundation!
Of special note, Bill will be offering bourbon tastings from his own private collection during the opening and closing receptions. (More information below.) We hope you’ll join us at Saltonstall during the special gallery hours posted above. We are located eight miles east of downtown Ithaca at 435 Ellis Hollow Creek Road
A rare and fine bourbon tasting at the opening & closing receptions:
Mr. Benson has been collecting bourbon for over twenty five years – basically at the beginning of the “bourbon craze”. It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons bourbon has made such a comeback since the late ‘50s (was it the Woody Allan film “Play It Again, Sam”?) when it was deemed, basically, ‘what your parents drank.’ Today, bourbon is huge, and that is an understatement. When Bill began collecting, you could count the number of bourbons in your local liquor store on two hands. Now any well-stocked liquor store could have over a hundred, and that number continues to grow.
At the opening and closing receptions, Bill will be offering samples of some wonderful bourbons – not by far the most expensive (many of which are highly overrated) – but ones that are not easy to come by and/or highlight what he considers some of bourbon’s greatest attributes: an enticing nose, a full and soft mouth feel, a sweetness produced by age and charred oak, and a lingering finish. Each ½ oz taste will be served in small, one shot glasses in three ways: neat, with a bit of water or with an ice cube. Bourbon cocktails will not be offered.
William Benson
Artist / Exhibition Statement
I began my artistic sensibilities about 70 years ago when I drew a dragon on the wall of the bedroom I shared with my twin brother, Bobby. My parents would continually remind me about that auspicious beginning because crayon was difficult to remove.
Throughout my life thinking, visualizing and producing art, I have always been enthralled by those that have come before me, especially painters who have engaged in representing the natural world. I grew up in a household that had on the walls prints collected by my grandfather; two in particular: a woodcut by Albrecht Durer and an etching by Rembrandt. I don’t know if these prints (and others in our house) prompted me to draw or that, because I was recognized with a natural talent for drawing, I was looking at these as teaching material. But it was quite clear to me at a very early age that I wanted to be an artist – my parents wishes notwithstanding even as I was garnering accolades throughout my education.
I graduated from the School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Planning at Cornell in 1972 with dual majors in Graphics and Art History. Graphics was the only department that highlighted my drawing skills (etching, lithography and woodcut) and Art History simply expanded my knowledge and theories about great painters of the past. Two great teachers I had while at Cornell were adjunct drawing instructor, Gillian Peterson Craig and painting Professor, Norman Daly whose portrait hangs in this show. I did not formally begin to paint in oils until 1978. I am basically self taught.
I produced my first portrait drawing when I was 9. A #2 pencil drawing copy I made of my grandfather astride a horse from a photograph taken in Italy in 1894. Portraits are extremely hard, perhaps the hardest endeavor of the representational arts mainly because there are egos involved, but I was good at it. I was able to practice this genre through the kindness and generosity of my family and friends with the goal of being accepted by the prestigious portrait firm, Portrait’s Inc., in 1990. This lucrative part of my career has enabled me to paint almost full time but landscapes, obviously inspired by the beauty of our natural surroundings, are what has led to this show.
Because of my extensive knowledge of art history (I have donated my substantial collection of art books to the Saltonstall Foundation) the theories and practices concerning the compositional elements that go into an image produced on a rectangle or square were important to me. Before Pollock, compositional theory was taught as the prime structure of a canvas – not drawing, or color or space. Rectangles would have “keys” to their dimensions much like musical theory – thirds, fourths and fifths as well as elements denoting movements within based on geometric principles. I employ these elements in much of my work, not least of which is the golden ratio.