Ben Darling
Ben Darling
Some of my earliest experiences in art making were relief prints using cardboard with tempera when I was 8-10 years old. I’ve pursued printmaking, and specifically relief printmaking as a way of depicting social or societal images, stories or observations. I explore the use of color in prints through the seasons and botanical subjects. I draw in graphite for continuous tone work, figures and portraits mainly. I use watercolor and line drawing to develop prints or as completed images. Born and raised on the Great Plains of North America, I’ve lived and made art in western Iowa through Nebraska’s Panhandle. I currently live in western Nebraska. Retired after 20 years of teaching Art at Sidney Public Schools, I continue to make prints, draw and paint as well as educate through the following Nebraska Arts Council programs: Nebraska Arts Council on the Creative Aging through the Arts Program (CAAP) and the Artist in the Schools / Communities program. I’ve also benefited from the 1% for the Arts Program.
Art for me is learning about the world I live in and sharing what I perceive with others. Through my print making I give voice to my social concerns, my interests in citizenship and justice. By acting as a socially active artist I hope to positively influence viewers to act for the betterment of our country. My aesthetic decisions are influenced by the European graphic tradition and social activist images. For color use and technique I have been experimenting with my limited understanding of the Japanese block print legacy. My color studies are generally made using botanical subjects.
