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Folded Circle Two Squares

Folded Circle Two Squares is a constructivist sculpture created by Fletcher Benton. This work is a part of a larger two part series of sculptural works called Folded Circles and Folded Squares. All works in these series are produced by restructuring a planar net for a circle or a square. You can see how Folded Circle Two Squares could be "unfolded" or reconstructed into the original circle. At its installation in the MUAM Sculpture Park, Folded Circle Two Squares was accompanied by its sister works in the Folded Circle Series as well as Benton's work in the Rolling Disc studies. Folded Circles included 15 other constructivist sculptures in various sizes and in bronze, aluminum, or steel. The Rolling Disc studies included five water colors and three oil paintings. Folded Circle two Squares was installed by Benton himself in 1980. It was a gift of both the artist and the class of 1955. Benton is an alumni of Miami University. He graduated in 1956 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts. Prior to his time at Miami, Benton served in the Navy and also had experience as a successful sign painter. After his schooling at Miami he became and instructor of art at the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1959. Five years later in 1964, Benton became an instructor at the San Francisco art institute. In 1967 Benton became a professor of art at California State University in San Jose. While living in the West Coast Benton became interested in expressionism and pursued expressionist painting in his spare time. From this, his studio practice eventually evolved to focus on Kinetic sculpture. Throughout the years of 1964 - 1974 Benton enjoyed success as a sculptor. In the late 70s Benton began to work in bronze and steel to create constructivist forms which often mimicked the geometries he encountered as a sign painter. Benton had much success with his two well known series: the Folded Circle Series and the Folded Square Series throughout the next decade. Folded Circle Two Squares is one of the sculptural forms from this era of his work. It has had a permanent residence at the Miami University Museum and Sculpture Park since its creation. Fletcher Benton received the President’s Scholar Award while he served as a professor at California State University from 1967 - 1987. In 1979 he received the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts from the American Academy of Institute of Arts and Letters. In 1982, he received the Award of Honor for Outstanding Achievement in Sculpture from the San Francisco Art Commission. Benton’s work can be seen internationally in the following collections: Andre Emmerich’s sculpture garden “Top Gallant,” The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Kroller-Muller State Museum in the Netherlands, and the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden. Images Courtesy of Miami University Art Museum