Benjamin Ball explores an intersection between architecture, public art and industrial design. Essential to each project is the “design” of the production process, with the aim of creating environments that enhance sensation, generate spectacle and invite physical engagement. Ball-Nogues Studio has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Guggenheim Museum; PS1; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Venice Biennale; the Hong Kong | Shenzhen Biennale; and the Beijing Biennale.
Ball grew up in Colorado and Iowa where his mother’s involvement in theatre proved influential. While studying for his degree, Ball worked for Frank Gehry and upon graduation, he sought work as a set and production designer for films (including the Matrix series). As an architect, his experience ranges from work on the Disney Concert Hall and small residential commissions to complex medical structures and event design. In his current collaboration with Gaston Nogues, Ball explores new materials, develops custom digital tools, and applies architectural techniques in unorthodox ways.
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Statement of Work
Artist Statement:
My practice occupies a territory between architecture, art, and industrial design. Essential to each project is the design of the production process itself. As I’m a fabricator as well as an artist, I devise proprietary systems of construction, create new tools, develop custom software, and explore new materials with the aim of expanding the potential of the physically constructed world. Research is integral to my practice–the social and physical contexts of the site inform each work. Rather than a specific aesthetic, it’s my process that defines my philosophy.
I’ve created works that range from freestanding sculpture to integrated pieces that grow out of the context itself. I have substantial experience creating installations that have utilitarian purposes such as seating and shading, and have worked with materials ranging from stainless steel to paper pulp, from concrete to glass. A common thread is using natural phenomena—especially light—to create visual experiences that change by time of day, viewing location, and mode of transit, engaging viewers in meaningful interaction.
PHOTOS
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Ball-Nogues Studio, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Portrait of a Southern Sky\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" 2022
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