Benner lived and died in London, Ont. His family confirmed his death on Wednesday at the age of 72. Benner’s art was part of the movement known as London Regionalization in the 1960s and 70s, questioning how the artist positioned himself in the art world and in the community. “When I think of Tom’s work, I think primarily of his love of nature and the environment,” said Kathryn Elliott Shaw, acting director of the McIntosh Gallery at Western University and a former curator. Benner’s White Rhino sculpture stands in front of the Museum of London in London, Ont. (Dave Chidley/CBC) “He did an amazing series of artworks that tried to focus people on the disappearing natural habitat, the animals themselves, their place in the field of our lives, but he was also interested in humor, and he knew that if he could use that humor, that it’s not that his work wasn’t serious, but he knew how to use humor to make people see his work and get the message as a person.” In London, Benner’s White Rhino – an aluminum sculpture of a large rhinoceros – stands in front of the Museum of London. Of his art, he said: “Each piece is rooted in a tradition of storytelling and storytelling, but also deals equally with materiality. Some stories are based on historical research, searching bookstores and libraries for information, some stories come in the form of dreams , memories. “My sculpture is not only about the individual piece, but also about the process, the materials and the space it occupies.” WATCHES | Tom Benner explains his exhibit at Charlottetown’s Confederation Center of the Arts 12 years ago: Artist Tom Benner has a new exhibit at Charlottetown’s Confederation Center of the Arts Benner’s work has been shown across Canada, including at Union Station in Toronto and at the Confederation Center of the Arts in Charlottetown, where he created an iconic Moose that stands outside the building. “He meant a lot to the culture of this area and to Canadian art in general,” said Cassandra Getty, curator of art at the Museum of London. “He advocated his own unique voice and way of working that was instantly recognisable. He was very proactive in his work about the idea of how humanity was threatening the environment.” On his website, Benner’s biography notes that he lived with his wife Pauline and brother-in-law. His brother is the artist Ron Benner, also a resident of London.
Benner ‘always very serious about his art’
The Benner household was a happy home where art was celebrated, said Michael Gibson, president of the Michael Gibson Gallery. “I used to go over to their house in 9th grade, 10th grade, and they were very, very funny. Tom at the time was making these huge blocks of fiberglass. We would lift them over our heads, sort of Fred Flintstone-type things, to show how strong we were. It was hilarious,” Gibson recalls. Museum of London curator Cassandra Getty stands in front of the White Rhino on Thursday. The black belt was placed on the rhino’s leg by a mourner. The artist, Benner, died on Wednesday. (Kate Dubinski/CBC) “He had a sense of humor but he was also very serious about his art.” Tom Benner was best known for his large sculptures made of cold, rolled, riveted aluminum and copper. In the 1980s, he created a series of works involving endangered or extinct species, including the white rhinoceros. “He had messages to get across that were quite serious, but he used humor to get those messages across,” Getty said.
