Standing 8 feet tall and constructed of welded steel and macropoxy paint, To Focus marks Ben Pierce’s fourth acceptance into the Mathews-Sanders Sculpture Garden Competition, but the first from his 2015 “Balance” series. The Cape Girardeau, Missouri native is candidly vulnerable about his emotional struggles of the past, levying, “2015 was a challenging time for me. I lost who I was. I found myself in the bottom of a dark hole, maybe the only thing that kept me going was my artwork. I dove head first into designing and making new work.” However, he imposed “limitations on his creativity,” allowing himself only the elements of two straight lines and a circle. “Those were the guidelines and I wanted to see how many unique and interesting compositions could be born from that infrastructure. What’s interesting is that when you have that few elements, you really have to shift the perspective and play with the balance – moving things in and out, to and from, incorporating cantilevers – to create a composition that has appeal or aesthetic.” Through the actual fabrication and the act of doing, Pierce made a profound realization, “I thought I was escaping into my art and avoiding my problems. However, during the fabrication of these sculptures I confronted myself; all the hurt, all the insecurities. I continue to do so every day still and what I’m coming away with each time: Love is a seed it will grow if you water it.”
To Focus by Ben Pierce
