Ben Sheers is an Australian artist based in Melbourne. Sheers earned a BA in Fine Art (Major in Painting) from Monash University, completing his honours year at the same institution the following year. Sheers has completed a Diploma of Education from the University of Melbourne, cementing him as a highly-skilled, classically-trained artist.
In recent times, Sheers has drawn inspiration from small cut paper collages. This inspiration struck when Sheers was teaching his two young sons to use scissors. During this simple activity, Sheers came to enjoy the act of mark making and cutting and pasting.
The work Sheers created as a result of this experience explores various shapes, forms, materials and processes. Utilising both photography and screen printing, Sheers retains an innocent sense of magic. Sheers masterfully employs scale to highlight the physical relationship between the viewer and the piece of art. The end result is shapes that are both precise and poetic.
Using a plethora of different materials, Sheers uses shape and form to create both two-dimensions and three-dimensional works. These works use the individual characteristics of their respective materials to highlight visual contrasts. Sheer’s ingenious use of acrylic sheeting allows the viewer to converse with the artwork, with the reflective surface of the material behaving like a mirror. However it is not only the viewer that Sheers’ works interact with; his 3D and 2D works are read within their surroundings, engaging with the objects, forms and light of its environment.
Sheers also works on sculptures, further playing with the notion of form and shape. Through this medium, Sheers creates a dialogue between negative and positive space in a three dimensional setting. He also maximises his utilisation of the inherent qualities found in the materials he uses, such as their texture. Sheers’ practice is process driven, and beautifully embodies the abstract contemporary practice.
Sheers has been a finalist in several art competitions including the Metro 5 Gallery Art Prize in 2007 and the Agendo Art Prize at Deakin University in 2009. Sheers has also won the People’s Choice Award at Metro Gallery Art Awards in 2010 for a painting entitled Sleeper.
His pieces are included in many public collections including the Monash University Drawing Department, the ING, Metro Gallery and Mentone Grammar School, as well as private collections in Melbourne, Sydney and London.
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