Ben McLeod

X121 Abstract Steel Sculpture by Ben McLeod, Circa 2000-2009, Unframed

2005

Ben McLeod is a celebrated Canadian sculptor and multi-disciplinary artist with over five decades of a self-driven career. Born in Scotland in 1948 and raised in Vancouver, his artistic journey began in the 1970s. He refined his craft through institutions like ACAD (now Alberta University of the Arts) and collaborations with artists such as Katie Ohe. A pivotal moment came early on when a stone carving he made was exchanged for a book on Henry Moore, sparking a lifelong passion for sculpture. McLeod's work consistently explores themes of resilience, the passage of time, and the interplay between structure and movement. His abstract sculptures often evoke figures, animals, or machinery through the viewer's perception of balance, reminiscent of Gestalt principles. Designed for 360-degree viewing, each piece dynamically transforms from every angle, showcasing his profound spatial understanding. This three-dimensional vision extends to his extensive drawing practice, where sketchbooks are filled with explorations and potential configurations. His process is highly iterative, involving years of revisiting and refining concepts. Primarily working with metal, especially steel, McLeod sources industrial and farming components from scrap yards near his base in Cochrane, Alberta. He transforms these materials into commanding brutalist sculptures, embracing jagged edges, oxidized surfaces, and industrial remnants while maintaining a masterful sense of harmony. Like David Smith, McLeod celebrates the material's history and imperfections, creating complex forms that balance immense strength with delicate equilibrium. He finishes these works with metal paint, oxides, or allows them to naturally oxidize. Beyond steel, he also carves fluid, sensual forms from stone and wood, letting the material's inherent essence guide the final piece, echoing Henry Moore's timeless forms with a contemporary sensibility. Based on an acreage in the Alberta foothills, McLeod's studio is both a creative crucible and a muse. Here, monumental sculptures, some weighing over a tonne, are organically integrated into the landscape, fostering a dialogue between nature and industry. This isolated setting provides the solitude crucial for the deep resolution of each work, which, as he describes, "speaks to him," guiding its completion. McLeod's largely self-guided and intuitive approach has allowed him to forge a deeply personal visual language. His relationship with his materials is rooted in philosophical honesty and an acute responsiveness to their qualities. His sculptures are a testament to patience, precision, and an intuitive dialogue with the materials themselves, nurtured by the expansive landscapes that define his existence. His significant contributions to contemporary sculpture are reflected in numerous permanent collections, including the Alberta Arts Foundation, the Canada Council Art Bank, and various university and private collections. This upcoming exhibition in Vancouver, his childhood home, offers a unique chance to experience the profound and intuitive sculptures of this pioneering Canadian artist.