Wednesday Artist: Bennett Bean

He doesn't separate between making artwork and life.
~ Designer Elizabeth Rand

Having left the rough-and-tumble of New York City for the quiet of rural Johnsonburg, New Jersey, more than 40 years ago, Bennett Bean established a studio where he happily creates his remarkable ceramics, painted after they've been fired, and, more recently, vibrantly colored rugs. Bean also works in stone, precious metals, silkweaving, and painting.

In this first video, State of the Arts New Jersey visits Bean's studio to talk about his nontraditional approach to crafting ceramics.

This second video describes how the rugs are designed and made. It features his design partner Elizabeth Rand.

View images of Bean's artworks at the social media sites below. Also see: Gravers Lane Gallery, Philadelphia; In Tandem Gallery, Bakersville, North Carolina; William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, California; and Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, Telluride, Colorado.

Bean's work can be found in numerous public collections, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Arts and Design, St. Louis Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, the White House Art Collection, and Yale University Art Gallery.

Bennett Bean Studio on FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr

Bennett Bean at The Marks Project