Tabula Rasa

About the Artist: Ben Quesnel

Ben Quesnel’s decontextualized forms challenge viewers to apprehend the meanings that have been attached to these objects and to evaluate them with a new understanding. Through his acts of deconstructing, he exposes the inner attachments that one develops with the objects, as they are simultaneously detached from their primary function. Swaying between a definable object and an unreachable thing, Quesnel modifies his objects just enough for them to hover over the threshold between the nameable and unnameable. Oscillating between playful and morbid, Quesnel’s work invites the viewer to acknowledge that the things we surround ourselves with will never fully be comprehended.