Ben Calkins
Visual Artist & Cellist
Ben Calkins
Cellist & Visual Artist
My visual art and music intersect in many ways. I use both mediums as ways to express myself and share emotions with others. Every art piece, with the exception of my Journal Collage series, is inspired by something different. Nature, my personal experiences, and other interests (such as music or architecture) are my biggest inspirations. It has been an incredible experience to watch myself grow as
an artist since I’ve taught myself most every medium and technique I use. I use art as a means of communication, like previously mentioned, as well as a pastime. It’s relaxing to me, which allows me to make all kinds of artwork; smaller pieces when I have less time, and more intricate works when I have time to dedicate to producing them.
When asked what my hobbies are, I like to say I am an Artist, and I hope to communicate that I am multi-disciplinary. I draw, paint, collage, take photos, make music, and write. And each of these disciplines are connected to each other. When I am doing an art piece, I listen to music and I like to connect the sounds I hear to the things I create. When I play the cello, I am bringing the ink on the paper to life and creating art that exists within time rather than space. Much like my art, I play the cello for myself. I pace my education to what best fits me.
Currently, I am studying Cello Performance at the University of South Carolina under Professor Claire Bryant. (She has studied at UofSC, the LA Conservatory for Music, and the Juilliard School.) Focusing my musical development on myself and my aspirations rather than someone else’s timeline allows music to be fun rather than competitive, and I believe that competition can kill musical joy.
