Oscillate

Ben Storch
Australian Contemporary Metal Sculptor

Benjamin Storch’s work stems from a fascination with fluid, dynamic motion, whether witnessed in nature, human motion, or computer-aided visualizations in the sciences. Plotting of the behavior of pendulums, imagery of surfaces being drawn into ‘fields of attraction’, strange attractor point clouds and fluid dynamics are all major influences on Benjamin’s sculptural work.

To achieve a dynamic quality in metal Benjamin spent years researching techniques to form sheet metal into surfaces of negative, anticlastic curvature. Achieving this in steel relies on a sensitive manual control of specialized machinery as well as traditional hammering techniques, which gives Benjamin’s work a unique tactile quality. While casting might be an option, the sheet metal process leaves a visible, tangible trace of the inherent tensile forces and thus reflects the intention behind the work. Some pieces more literally embody mathematical principles associated with topology, dynamical systems, and surface curvature while others are the artist’s impressions of some of these systems.