Cedars, March 2019

March 2019 12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT God, Life and Art Professor Benson refocuses his students and revitalizes the 3D department Photo courtesy of Zac Benson Zac Benson joined Cedarville in 2017. by Katie Milligan Z ac Benson, assistant professor of stu- dio art, has brought new energy to Cedarville’s sculpture and ceramics scene. He instills in his students the value of engaging culture with their art. “There are many bold artists who are influencing culture through their artwork,” Benson said. “I think [Christians] can too, here at Cedarville. We can talk about the new abortion laws, we can talk about the border of U.S. We need to have a voice in culture.” Benson’s personal, internationally re- nowned artwork deals with contemporary social issues like the refugee crisis and the LGBTQ community. He joined CU in the fall of 2017, after earning his Master’s of Fine Arts in studio art from the University of Maryland. He’s been producing artwork since 2008. Benson believes that art should be es- pecially relevant to Christians. “Just go to Genesis ... the first thing we know about God is that He created,” he said. “God takes art seriously; we should take art seriously.” Benson’s goal is to broaden his stu- dents’ ideas of what sculpture can be, beyond the popular misconception that sculpture is only made of bronze and stone, and bring them to an awareness of materiality. “The unique thing about sculpture is anything can be sculpture,” Benson said. “That can be paint, photography, clay, thread, leaves, it can go from wood to met- al to plastic to paper to carpet to dirt to snow.” Moreover, Benson strives to educate his students about how to give their art a voice. “I really enjoy concept, where you’re bringing a meaning into the artwork,” Ben- son said. “Sculpture can speak for itself. How do you make wood say something about the soul? How do you make clay say something about your need for the Lord? That’s hard to do. ” Most of all, Benson intends to help his students holistically approach their careers, using his experiences as a Christian, a hus- band and father, and a professional artist. “I tell them I’m going to teach them three things in all my classes: God, life and art. God should be your number one priority, and that’s going to be the hard- est thing you’ll ever do. Then I teach them about life,” Benson said. “Once you nail those down, then lastly, I’ll talk to you about art.” 3D classes take place in Alford Audi- torium, which is split between a pottery studio complete with wheels and kilns and a sculpture studio with tools and a wood- shop. Savannah Hart, a senior studio art major, said she appreciates that Benson holds his students to high standards. He pushes them to new heights with building functional furniture, using fire to weld and much more. “[Benson is] really fiery and passion- ate,” she said. “He calls us to be excellent because God calls us to be excellent. He’s getting more quality work out of us.” Recently, Hart created a sculpture titled “Lessons in Sacred Minutia” using assemblage art: collecting reclaimed ma- terial and found objects and putting them together to create something new. Taking a piece of driftwood, she attached small man-made items with intricate design, such as a blown-glass perfume bottle and silversmith metalwork, as well as various pieces of nature like a tree pod or a sea- shell. “It’s a collage of divine craftsmanship and human craftsmanship that’s really small,” Hart explained. “I’m most prompt- ed to make art out of spiritual confusions, and I’m often baffled that our Maker would create things that are so small with so much complexity. That validates, for me, the seemingly menial tasks that I do daily.” Hart loves the opportunity that art gives her to express herself in myriad ways. “I love the healing power of art, the unconventionality, and the possibilities are endless. It’s full of discovery,” she said. “I love looking at my hands and realizing all the things that they have made.” Photo courtesy of Savannah Hart Savannah Hart appreciates the healing power of art. Photo courtesy of Savannah Hart Savannah Hart’s sculpture, “Lessons in Sacred Minutia.”