Benjamin Jurgensen
Ben Jurgensen earned a BFA in Fine Art from the Corcoran College of Art & Design in 2008 and an MFA in Sculpture + Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010. He has held positions as assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and as visiting assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in cities including New York, NY; Washington, DC; Richmond, VA; Austin, TX; Istanbul, Turkey; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai, UAE. His work has been reviewed in Art Papers, Sculpture Magazine, The Washington Post, The Washington City Paper and Artnet among other publications.
Courses
Fall 2023 Courses
SCULP 2236-01
OPEN HARDWARE
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The prevalence and rapid evolution of digital fabrication technology is due in large part to open source communities of users who actively develop and contribute to new software, hardware, and publishing platforms. In this hands-on studio we will explore both the history and potential of the open source movement as it relates to art, design, and its production. Specifically, we will build upon, modify, hack, and create new open source tools, workflows, and platforms that aid in the production of original artworks. The semester will begin with a series of projects in which students gain familiarity with the norms and practices of open source collaboration, development, and publishing. From there, students will have the opportunity to devise and use an example of open hardware in the creation of an original body of work. Topics include: bootstrapping, hacking, intellectual property, licensure and attribution, speculative fiction, Cyberpunk aesthetics, Afrofuturism, Shanzhai, additive and subtractive fabrication, physical computing, motion control systems, experimental materials, digital distribution, and dissemination.
Open to Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.
Elective
FOUND 1005-08
STUDIO: SPATIAL DYNAMICS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Studio: Spatial Dynamics is a studio-based inquiry into physical, spatial and temporal phenomena. The study of Spatial Dynamics is rooted in the necessity to consider forces and their effects on structure. Force is the consequence of energy. In Spatial Dynamics the energy and resultant forces are studied in actual motion, stability, and materiality. The structures of physical, spatial and temporal phenomena are studied through additive, subtractive, transformative, iterative, and ephemeral processes both analog and digital. Mediums and materials that are commonly explored and utilized have a broad range of characteristics due to their organic and synthetic sources. Most assignments utilize methods such as preliminary sketches and diagrams in research, planning, and experimental processes. Assignments reference the histories and theories of art and design and include areas of inquiry that extend to disciplines such as the sciences, music, dance, film, and theater.
Enrollment is limited to first-year Undergraduate Students.
Major Requirement | BFA
SCULP 2141-01
DIGITAL DESIGN & FABRICATION | ADDITIVE
SECTION DESCRIPTION
“Any attempt to understand an artistic medium through the lens of technology alone is futile and counterproductive,imposing limits on the conceptual understanding of the work. Good art is always both deeply rooted in and at the same time transcends its medium.”
-Christiane Paul
This course will explore digital design and fabrication within the context of contemporary art, design and architecture. Through a series of technical demonstrations and assignments, connections will be made between CAD/CAM software, fabrication technologies and the physical world. Additionally, the course will explore digital fabrication as it relates to traditional sculptural processes such as mold making + casting, metalworking and woodworking.
This course, although technical in nature, is not technical in spirit. Our goal is not the mastery of any one software application or fabrication technology, but instead an understanding of how to effectively leverage digital processes and tools in one’s studio.
The semester will be divided into a series of assignments, each exploring various approaches to digital design and fabrication, and will culminate in a final project blending digital fabrication with an existing project and/or research interest.
You will leave this course with the ability to model complex geometries, to collect and process 3D scan data, and to output using additive fabrication equipment. We will utilize the resources of RISD at large, but will focus on highly accessible, open source digital fabrication tools available within the Sculpture department.
Open to Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.
Elective
Spring 2024 Courses
SCULP 2246-01
DIGITAL CRAFT
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Building on technologies covered in Digital Design and Fabrication, this studio will explore relationships between digital fabrication, traditional sculptural and craft processes. Students will research and develop approaches to making that blend emerging fabrication technologies with traditional sculptural techniques including woodworking, metalworking, and casting. Students will leverage existing skillsets and departmental resources to both augment and invent methods of fabrication that complement their research and studio interests. The course will explore intermediate / advanced 3d modeling, 3d capture, robotics, and additive/subtractive fabrication techniques using both departmental and campus resources. Through weekly slide presentations, readings and class discussions, students will be introduced to a broad range of artistic approaches, practices and communities merging technology and craft. Rhino 3D will be used as the primary CAD tool and students will need to provide their own laptop with Rhino installed.
Elective