Ben Butler

The Shape of Things between

Artist Statement

My work stems from our wonder and awe of the natural world and our place in it.  My sculptures and installations are meditations on both human and non-human processes. I employ elegant and repetitive systems that generate rich forms, often highly evocative of various natural phenomena. The single most compelling idea for me is that throughout the natural world, complex and unpredictable forms emerge from simple repetitive processes.

​Artist bio

Ben Butler is a sculptor and public artist working in Memphis, Tennessee, and Quoque, New York.  In addition to showing his work extensively in gallery and museum exhibitions nationally, he has produced commissioned sculptures and installations in a range of media for universities, hospitals, parks, and other public spaces, including major works for Portland International Airport, Renasant Convention Center in Memphis, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Hyatt Regency Hotel Chicago, and Crosstown Theater in Memphis, among others.

Butler received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his BA from Bowdoin College. He is the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Individual Artist Grant and numerous fellowships at residency programs including the MacDowell Colony, The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, and the Ucross Foundation.