Ben
The arts and the natural environment have been the primary influences in how I view the world. Raised in a small rural mountain town in Colorado, my parents encouraged me to draw and paint from a very young age, with access to many different materials from their design office. Inspired by the beauty of the landscape just outside my door, I developed an appreciation for the forms, processes, and objects found in the natural world and how that understanding can be translated into art and design.
Since the age of six, I have travelled throughout the US, Central America, South America, and Europe observing the harmonious connections and inter-relationships between cities, their cultures, and their locations. I am constantly in awe and curious about the world and how it is built; inspired by the intersection of human made and natural environments.
Building on my upbringing, I studied Studio Art at Colorado College where I had the freedom to explore the creative process through different mediums. My education included sculpture, drawing, technical drawing, painting, graphic design, photography, and print making, as well as a semester studying in Copenhagen. My comfort level with a wide variety of methods and modalities gives me a sense of possibility, an openness to what we can imagine.
Prior to joining Carpenter Studio, I was a designer and fabricator at Chevo Studios in Denver. Chevo is a design/build studio that creates spaces informed by their location and focused on generating human interaction with the surrounding area through art. My role included helping with the design, fabrication and installation of sculptures while also assisting with marketing, equipment maintenance, scheduling and invoicing. Our collective goal was to provide the highest level of craftsmanship while delivering enriching art for people to enjoy in both private and public settings. Notable projects include a natural stone amphitheater at the Grand Canyon, and a plaza at the Rochester, New York public library with integrated stone and metal elements, such as a gateway, sculptural seating, and a water table.
As a partner in Carpenter Studio, I look forward to sharing the creative process side by side with my dad, my brother, our clients, consultants, and contractors; together creating what is possible. In the end, I seek designs that are authentic and honest, intrigued by how things fit together, by the nature of the materials, by solutions that stand the test of time with attention to the quality of craftsmanship, and by the ever-evolving relationship between the landscape and that which is built.