Ben Smit
Domestic Bliss
Sculpture, Photography and drawings
Main Gallery

Toronto Artist

MEDIA RELEASE

Domestic Bliss, an exhibition of recent sculpture and drawings by Toronto artist Ben Smit, opens at Mercer Union November 19 at 8pm and continues through December 19, 1992.

Challenging the myths of modern day urban parenting, the exhibition includes a baby crib constructed out of glass neon tubes, a potty made of bronze and a dominatrix-styled adult sized jolly jumper made of leather and studs titled Stress Release Device.

By reconfiguring objects of childrearing, these sculptures reveal Smit's witty and somewhat ambivalent view of paternity as well as the sculptural potential in everyday objects. Ultimately, Smit's interest is in the possibility of interacting with such objects - in manipulating them to cause a re-evaluation of everyday conditions.

Ben Smit lives and works in Toronto and is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art. Solo exhibitions include Maintenance at YYZ Artists' Outlet (1986) as well as Safety Gear for a Light-Headed Cowboy (1990) and A Matter of Fact (1983) installed in rented storefronts in Toronto. He has exhibited in a number of group exhibitions including Real, Authentic, Genuine at Beaver Hall in 1991.