SCULPTOR PROFILE: Christopher Bennett


Chris Bennett lives and works on the wooded north bank of the Des Moines River, in the growing artists' colony of Bentonsport, IA. His studio on the river's edge was destroyed in a 1993 flood and he has rebuilt further up the bank. Now his working complex consists of a house, a large studio, and an old stone building, now vacant, that he hopes will someday house a school of sculpture. He is raising his five-year old son, Chris, alone, and Chris at any given moment can be seen racing down the hill on a tricycle or pulling a red wagon dressed in full Indian garb.

   Sculpture by Christopher Bennett

"I am a Midwesterner; my heart, my family, my inspiration are here. The most positive thing about living here is that the space that I have purchased includes an open park with beautiful buildings, warm neighbors and interesting fellow craftsmen. It's a great place to raise my son, who is already setting up his vendor's table to sell small clay sculptures. They say about a small town, 'There's not much to see here but what you hear makes up for it.' You get to know and care for your neighbors well."

With telephone, internet, access to transportation, and delivery service, Bennett is able to do business with clients
anywhere in the country. The downside is that he must drive many miles in order to get groceries, go to church, visit
relatives or interview with clients.

Bennett studied at Luther College, University of Iowa, and the Naguib School of Sculpture, the last run by Egyptian
classical sculptor, Mustafa Naguib. He counts Naguib as having had a great influence on him. "I lived and apprenticed
with him for three years. He was a mentor to me for everything from monument building to brushing my teeth properly,
'his way.' I subjected myself to 'his way' for three years. We were drilled in anatomy, molds, casting, carving, building.
He was very demanding, but it did pay off well. "

"Naguib gave me two important pieces of advice: 'I can't teach you art-I can only teach you technique. You already
have art in your heart.' The other is: 'Go home to start-that is where your base support is, that is where you will grow
from.' I did, and I have."

Bennett regrets to some extent having attended college first, rather than an art school. "In the colleges and,
especially, in universities, they try to teach you "Art" without [teaching] any solid techniques. I always felt that I was
competing with established artists in style and artistry. [I feel it's best to] learn the ABCs first and be drilled in them. It
only encouraged my own rebellion, frustration, and anger, because I was never given a base to spring from."

"In contrast, from Naguib I learned to create a well-crafted artwork, and to survive and prosper. At the university, I was
encouraged to be 'artistic.' I believe I was damaged by university philosophy for years, regarding making a living at my
craft. That was discouraged as 'commercial' and 'impure.' We were never given any idea how to present ourselves or
our artwork in the business world, let alone respect the procurement or management of money for our service to the
public. At Naguib School, all of these things were addressed and, as a working sculptor, he made himself an
example."

"I've always wanted to create artwork, and work with people and also to sell a product. I first decided to be a sculptor
when I was 17 years old, during a summer apprenticeship with a local potter whose husband was a sculptor. When I
was 17 or 18, with innocence, interest, and drive, nothing seemed impossible. It was sort of like marry- your childhood
sweetheart; you don't know any different. Since I was 21, I've only taken three outside jobs, two when I was in the
university, and one a couple of years ago, during a lapse of confidence."

Bennett is currently working on numerous private memorials. One is of a little girl in a sailor dress reading a book that
will go to a public library. The others are bronze three dimensional and relief sculptures that will complement granite
stones to be displayed in a large local cemetery monument company. He is also working on a waterfall fountain, which
will include bronze figures and stainless steel framing. The fountain will be installed in a community college near Des
Moines. Over the last 20 years he has had on average one to three public projects to work on each year, in addition to
private commissions. He also teaches workshops throughout Iowa and from his studio in Bentonsport.

Bennett enjoys occasional collaborations with other artists, architects, craftspeople or engineers, and finds that many
of the people he associates with are his fellow artisans. But he prefers to work alone.

"I work best either alone or managing people to do the work that I have assigned them of my projects. As in any
business, good selection of assistants is crucial. Loyalty is important; skill, willingness to learn, and self-motivation
are key as well. In the past I have had several assistants; on one project, I had a whole herd of 19- and 20-year-old
proteges. Right now I contract out some of the work that I need done as well. I have lately acquired by the grace of
God an "angel investor," who has invested money in commissions and purchased some of my artwork, as well as
volunteered time to promote my studio and work."

"I go to bed whenever I am stuck for ideas. The solution is almost always there in the morning. I say always, always
back off a problem with ideas and people, [and] the solution will "present itself' best without your confrontation. I can
think of an idea for a monument in four seconds and run with it even though it may take four years to complete the
piece. First impressions are usually the best-even though developing them may mean backing off from time to time. He
also consults friends in the community who are sculptors or artists, and maintains a rich prayer life, both of which are
unfailing sources of inspiration.

My surrounding neighbor artisans I usually see a couple of times a week, at least to interact personally and
professionally. We associate because of work, similar sensibility, kids, and sharing the stuff of life: deaths, marriages,
divorces, births, cabbages and potatoes, carrots and beans. "

"I've noticed recently that the people most attracted to moving here and restoring the old buildings and are interested in
artistic things are primarily artists and Methodist ministers. In a town of 75, there are nine artisans and six ministers,
active, retired, just coming, or just leaving!"

He finds inspiration in everything around him, from the shapes and lines in nature to the people he knows: "Colors,
textures, shapes and forms abound in nature. All elements of nature and landscape inspire me. People and their
interactions with others, and with their God fascinate me."

"Constructing an idea is no different than building a house. I start with a site, an environment; the exact location is
determined; the size is decided in proportion to the site and framing; the structure is formed, the skin is added, detail
is decided upon. All of these elements can be decided before commencing, though some are conceived as the work
progresses. Normally most everything is designed before I sculpt, except for some of the finer detail."

"I tell my students that placement-the form and movement of a sculpture design-is the inspiration; the detail is the
enjoyment of the process."

Bennett's studio was designed so that light filters down from above, filling the space with indirect light. The studio's
setting among the trees provides him with quiet and a degree of isolation, although visitors do stop in from time to
time. "I normally listen to the radio, with music or a talk show droning on in the background. I work mostly in the
daytime, although deadlines call for late nights or all-nights at times."

One source of companionship he can always count on is his son, Chris, an industrious child given to dressing up in
various costumes, producing puppet shows for the neighbors, and building racing vehicles. As both a full-time sculptor
and a single parent, Bennett has had to learn to integrate caring for his son with getting his work done. Fortunately, his
son is an independent sort who enjoys being involved with what his Dad does. "My son has always been a
self-occupying sort of character. He has been by my side as I work since he was born. When he was an infant, I would
put him in his car seat carrier and secure him to my back with luggage straps; he came with me while I climbed
around on scaffolding and observed the model. He could drive a nail home, joining two boards, at age two." But there
are trying moments like the time his son picked up the phone during an important call from a client to ask for help
opening a jelly jar.

Bennett's dream is to establish a school for classical figurative sculpture with an adjoining sculpture park filled with
life-size bronzes. The park would be located in a natural wooded area, somewhat remote, but accessible. In line with
his religious beliefs, Bennett would have the sculpture in the park reflect the stories, parables, psalms, and proverbs of
the Bible, as well as abstract designs meant to convey his spiritual insights. He would like to involve the students in
this future school in all aspects of designing the park and it, feature compositions, from small models to the making of
molds and bronze casting, or stone and wood carving.