Renowned American sculptor Fletcher Bentons iconic style centers on the interfacing of various geome

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Fletcher Benton The Alphabet
Renowned American sculptor Fletcher Bentons
iconic style centers on the interfacing of
various geometric forms that seem to defy
gravity. Holly Hughes, Associate Curator,
Albright-Knox Art Gallery One series of work
that Fletcher Benton pursued since the early
1970s and only recently completed is his
Alphabet series, a set of 35 sculptures, one
each of the 26 letters of the alphabet and nine
numeric figures. These sculptures have recently
been loaned to the museum from the collection of
James J. Curtis, along with drawings and paper
models that the artist constructed in advance of
each individual sculpture. They offer a unique
opportunity to study both language and the
creative process. For more information on this
artist, please visit our Web site at
 http//www.albrightknox.org/menu_gray/library_ov
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Each sculpture in the Folded Square Alphabet
series started with a drawing on a 10 x 10 or
12 x 12 square of white paper. See if you can
identify the letters or numbers in each of these
six drawings. (Answers are at the end of the
slideshow.)
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Benton then cut out, folded, and pasted the
original drawings into three-dimensional paper
models called maquettes. This is the letter T
maquette, seen from four different views.
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Each drawing was translated into a pattern to
guide the fabrication of the small metal
sculptures. This is the pattern for the letter T.
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Here is the finished small metal sculpture of the
letter T, as portrayed by author and Photographer
David Finn, who has written a book about the
alphabet sculptures.
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David Finn wrote a poem describing each
sculpture. This one describes the letter T
sculpture
Round circle of steel mirrors an open space. A
long diagonal line ends in two right angles. As
one moves around the sculpture detail views show
combinations of geometric forms, with angles,
curves, Open spaces and solid squares.
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Benton has always been an artist who does it all,
from his drawings through his small maquettes,
right up to fabricating his own final small- and
large-scale sculptures in his Dore Street studio
in San Francisco, California.
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Folded Circle Trio, 1993 Cor-Ten Steel University
of California, Berkeley
Folded Circle, Reno, Nevada,
Even his large scale sculptures like these are
all created in his own studio, with the aid of
his studio assistants.
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What is really important is the artist is
totally, totally responsible for what he does.
And where else in life is that true? I find that
incredible. To have that opportunity in my life
to do something from beginning to end its
finished, I stand back, and its all my stuff.
Thats just beyond words. Fletcher Benton
(with one of his favorite cars in his Dore
Street, San Francisco studio, February 2009
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An exhibition of more than seventy works of art,
from drawings to the finished small sculptures,
will be on view at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery
in an exhibition called Fletcher Benton The
Alphabet from July 30, 2009, to July 5, 2010.
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Drawing identifications. Left to right, top to
bottom The number 1 Letters T R S G Y
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Educators To plan your curriculum to connect to
this exhibition, please visit our Web site,
www.albrightknox.org, after July 1, 2009, for
lesson plans for all grade levels, information
about our educator workshop for this exhibition,
and to schedule a free visit through Artscool.

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York saw an
opportunity to take the Albright-Knox Art
Gallery, already a leader in visual arts
education, to the next level of instructional
outreach through Art'scool. This partnership
breaks down existing geographic and financial
barriers while enhancing educational
opportunities for children of all ages, allowing
many more students to benefit from this
world-class institution.
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We hope to see you during the next school year at
the Albright-Knox Art Gallery!