ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By
TAHLIB
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| "Madonna" (1967) by Ben Smith. Wookblock print 6 of 25. |
GEORGIA---Atlanta based artist
Ben Smith is today perhaps best known for creating enormous woodblock prints of shamans, wizards, and ceremonial figures, but in the 1960s, he held a fascination for religious stories. At the age of 23, he produced one of his largest wood-block prints, "
Samson Enchained" (1964). "Literary content is important to Ben,"
wrote Jim McLean in 1967 "and his work is continually nurtured by references to classical mythology, literature, and the drama of the Old Testament." Smith creates large scale figures with a carnival fascination reminiscent of
James Ensor and with presence impossible to ignore, including his four foot "
Madonna" (above) from 1966.
