Ben Woolfitt begins each day by drawing. Using graphite, silver and metal leaf and selected objects for frottage, Woolfitt plumbs the depths of his unconscious as he draws on each page of his books. Although best known for his large-format paintings, Woolfitt has completed hundreds of drawings which showcase his signature process: taking a pre-existing sign — a piece of bamboo, for example — and imbuing it with subjective energies through the act of recording and accentuating its impression on the page.

The drawings in Ben Woolfitt: Rhythms & Series are charged with rich psychological meaning; they speak where language fails. Distributed randomly in his drawing books, Woolfitt’s work transforms the linear structure of the bound volume into a nonlinear repository of his sensations and feelings, offering a special glimpse into his psyche.

Ben Woolfitt: Rhythms & Series contains more than 65 reproductions of Woolfitt’s distinctive drawings along with an interview with the artist by AGO curators Kenneth Brummel and Alexa Greist.

Artist Ben Woolfitt was born in Saskatchewan. Since his first solo show in 1969, Woolfitt’s work has appeared in 25 solo exhibitions and 15 group exhibitions. His work is now held in the collections at the MacLaren Art Centre at the AGO, Hart House at the University of Toronto, the Remai Modern, and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

Ben Woolfitt's profile page

“The question of where art comes from deserves more attention. ... Ben Wooltt: Rhythms and Series confronts this important issue head on, working with a wealth of personal material provided by the artist in an interview with curators Kenneth Brummel and Alexa Greist.”

<i>Border Crossings</i>