Feature Image: Melodi © Benjamin Timpson 2023, butterfly wings on glass, 24″ x 18″ unframed, 29.5″ x 23.5″ x 2.75″ framed, unique
On Tuesday, June 25th, AZPA members gathered at Grant Street Studios to meet Benjamin Timpson, an artist specializing in interdisciplinary mediums, including photography, painting and sculpture. Timpson, much like his art, was vibrant, compelling and powerful.
Touring the large maze-like space that is Grant Street Studios, Timpson walked AZPA members through his exhibition emphasizing features he uses to produce his work including large-scale printing presses. Members also viewed large scale ceramic rooms, neon light production areas, and studios dedicated to 3-D printing.
After touring the entirety of the studio space, members enjoyed listening to Timpson’s explanation of his “Metamorphosis” collection. He explained that he was inspired by the stories of the lost lives of many ‘Jane Does’ from Native American communities. The number of missing or murdered on the Trail of Tears was also an inspiration to him.
Timpson explained that he begins his process by photographing his subject (or their family members) and then creates a sketch of the photograph on paper. He then places a large piece of glass over the sketch and using tweezers, begins to glue down small butterfly wings to form the image, The butterflies used in his art are meant to represent hope and change. After all the wings are carefully placed, he constructs an LED light frame that gradually dims to accentuate different wings’ luminosity. The painstaking process takes approximately nine months for each piece.
In addition to showing his works, Melodi, Rita Smith, and many others in the “Metamorphosis” series, Timpson also showed his earlier works showcasing natural materials such as dove wings, snakeskin, flowers, hair, sticks, and animal bones.
After the discussion of his work, the artist took members up to the studio to see his large butterfly wing collection and his current work-in-progress piece which will be added to the “Metamorphosis” collection upon completion. Benjamin Timpson is represented by Lisa Sette Gallery and may be reached at benjamin.timpson@asu.edu.
Sara Windom
Contributing Writer
Sara Windom is a photographer, designer, artist and writer from Phoenix, Arizona. With a B.A. in Mass Communication and Media Studies from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, she aims to combine her passion for writing with the storytelling found in her photography and artwork. Windom’s works have been published in a number of publications such as The Sonoran Arts League, The America Library of Poetry, The State Press, The West Valley View, Melted Magazine, State Press Magazine, The Downtown Devil and many more.
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