vintage garden
Whimsical Rubbish By Ric ard W. Daley
Ben Hawkins sculpts inanimate objects into art pieces he calls Whimsical Rubbish. A visit to his Over- land Park, KS, studio would reveal car parts, vintage refuse, and a few thousand other items nearly impossible to place in a category. “All of these have faces and tell sto- ries,” says Hawkins about his many works. “They draw you into their world before you recognize they are just junk hooked together.” During regular working hours, Ben is a mechanic at a local Dodge/Jeep dealership. Staring into the
bellies of the never ending string of cars provides him with inspiration. “I have incorporated tools that I use at work into my sculptures,” Hawkins says. The reception to his art has been positive. His work has been shown at the Strecker Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS, as well as the Discovery Center in Kansas City, MO. The PBS series, “Rare Visions and Roadside Rev- Jack In The Box made from bait box, electric tea pot, car springs, garden rakes, fishing bobbers, poker chips, and part of a light fixture.
DIY these brick path markers
elations” featured Hawkins in 2007.
The varied textures and overall structure of his work brings surprising reactions. “It is always inter- esting when I show my art and someone tells me what some- thing is that I did not know what it was.” The lamp, key- board, or bucket of bolts collecting dust in your garage could be a masterpiece if Ben Hawkins ever gets his hands on them.
Grab an old carved post to elevate a home for birds, build your own brick pillar path markers, embellish some drift wood with an ornate hanging lantern, give some drama to a vegetable garden with a wire gate, and most of all, show off your rusty relics. After all, the garden is a perfect final resting place for pieces that have gone to rust.
Metal car parts, garden tools, and miscellaneous plastic pieces.
FollowWhimsical Rubbish on Facebook and flickr.com/whimsicalrubbish
VintageKC / Spring 2013 26
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs