What Elements of Art Are Found in Urban Shaman Sculptures

The vivid world of Ben Ridgeway | Ben Ridgeway | STIRworld — The vivid earth of Ben Ridgeway Paradigm: Ben Ridgeway

Shamanism in the data age: the visionary art of Ben Ridgeway

American image-maker Ben Ridgeway discusses his visionary creative practice, its grounding within a state of pure imagination, and his melding of the spiritual and technological.

by Manu SharmaPublished on : Jan 07, 2022

Artist Ben Ridgway is a true 21^st century Shaman. The visionary practitioner has worked within the video game industry besides equally film and the independent fine art earth, merely has also become quite popular for his incredibly bright spiritual explorations. Ridgway'south work is filled with vivid colours and is built on a fascinating medley of spiritual and technological elements that seem to work in perfect tandem, with the line between them becoming increasingly blurred as i explores his oeuvre. Discussing his thematic grounding, he tells STIR, "A lot of people who await at my work allocate it as 'visionary art'. Visionary art is art that expresses visionary states. These states can come from dreams, altered states, deep spiritual practice, and internal visualisation. The themes I piece of work with are all over the map. Information technology seems similar I take been making a lot of techno/organic forms recently. Mostly alien beings, surreal landscapes, and fantasy sculptures. My work ranges from serious to playful and I rarely stick with simply 1 technique to create an image or animation." And indeed, Ridgway'southward piece of work does blend the serious and contemplative with the playful, and perhaps even brassy. Many pieces by the artist seem as though they take been created with the utmost precision, and yet, practise non take themselves too seriously."

Untitled | Ben Ridgway | STIRworld — Untitled Image: Ben Ridgway

Discussing his childhood and the beginnings of his artistic fascination, Ridgway explains that, truly, whatever peachy creative person begins by learning to scribble with crayons. Over time though, he has explored many different genres and fine art forms, creating a huge library of influences within his mind. However, when asked to narrow things down, he tells STIR that he is deeply interested in sculpture, image-making and blitheness above all else. Of the 3, it was animation that he pursued formally, earning a masters degree in Experimental Animation from CalArts. Yet, through the decades, across practices, he has held truthful to a certain raison d'etre - Ridgway views himself as an 'interspace excavator'. He elaborates on this by explaining that his goal is to "dig deep into the inner spatial worlds and ideas that we engage with in our minds, and manifest them into the physical realm. Where words autumn curt, visual linguistic communication, audio, and all of the senses tin be used to communicate worlds of abstraction in a universally understandable fashion."

Ridgway's take on the male and female merging | Ben Ridgway | STIRworld — Ridgway'south take on the male and female merging Image: Ben Ridgway

Ridgway is happy that people find his alloy of the spiritual and the technological fascinating. However, he reiterates that he is, largely, one who relays pre-existing catholic data. The artist expands on this, saying, "the spiritual and technological aspects of my art seem to come to me naturally through dreams and visions. Rather than seeing them as different I would suggest that y'all take a few moments to ask yourself "how are these worlds seemingly so similar?" The best answer I can give to that is that the imagery I am making seems to exist part of the commonage unconscious. I am simply a visual stenographer of the things I see through my mind's eye." This is an interesting sentiment, mirrored by a few others within the visionary art movement. And indeed, at that place seem to be certain universal elements that exist across the bodies of work that these artists have produced, such as the unification of the male and female. It is more than merely sexual in its depictions, oftentimes feeling as though stars are colliding in an altogether peaceful, serene sort of way. Of course, Ridgeway's take on this motif is entirely on make, and uses what announced to be cyborgs positioned in front end of circuitry. The melding of the spiritual and technological can exist seen within Ridgeway'southward technique as well. Discussing this, he tells, "I brainstorm a slice by visualising it through my dreams and visions. And then, I commit myself to research and contemplation. At this stage, I am trying to figure out how the artwork could be fabricated. After that I piece of work towards actually manifesting it. Or to put it simply, I work, work and work some more than. Lastly, I go to share my creation with the world." Sometimes, he begins by making crude doodles, and other times, he starts through 3D sculpting and arrangement in a software such every bit ZBrush. Then, he will typically refine his practice in Photoshop earlier taking stock of his results.

Ridgeway's piece looks very much like a Biblically accurate angel | Ben Ridgeway | STIRworld — Ridgeway's slice looks very much similar a Biblically authentic angel Paradigm: Ben Ridgeway

Autonomously from seeing himself as a member of the visionary art movement, Ridgeway is also involved in teaching work, specifically at San Francisco State University, within the School of Cinema. He is happy to call back of himself equally both, an artist, and a teacher, and 1 tin imagine the positive effect that a creative of Ridgeway's calibre would accept on young, budding practitioners. Additionally, the artist has likewise branched out, quite curiously, into apparel design besides. He explains, "I was approached by Threyda Art and Clothes to make dress a few years back. I never considered making wearables from my art until and then. Since that time, information technology'due south been a peachy partnership. I now have a full line of wear, prints, and sculptures available through Threyda and I love working with them".

Untitled | Ben Ridgeway | STIRworld — Untitled Image: Ben Ridgeway

Existence something of a artistic veteran, Ridgeway has exhibited his work several times. Most recently, however, he presented his pieces along with other well-known visionary artists such every bit Alex and Allyson Gray, Amanda Sage and Wiley Wallace, at the Mesa Contemporary Arts (MCA) Museum. He views it as a great honour and speaks of the experience very warmly. Currently, he is dipping his toes into the growing NFT Market, and tells STIR, "I recently started selling my work equally NFTs. This is an exciting new infinite for selling digital art and animations, and I can see great prosperity ahead in that area. I go along to explore new software and techniques for my image-making and animation work, and will certainly proceed going forth that." Information technology will be valuable to watch out for the wonderful artistry Ridgeway produces, and how he shall further blend the human and the mechanical; the technological and the spiritual.

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Manu is a new media creative person and an arts scholar, with a Masters in Asian Art Histories from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. When he is not decorated writing about art in the cyberspace historic period, you lot can observe him difficult at piece of work, making music videos.

Manu is a new media creative person and an arts scholar, with a Masters in Asian Art Histories from LASALLE Higher of the Arts, Singapore. When he is not decorated writing near art in the cyberspace historic period, yous can find him difficult at work, making music videos.