The paintings and sculptures in Benjamin Cosmo Westoby’s practice could be seen as exercises in describing light, shadow and form.

An element such as the width of a material becomes the starting point for his wall sculptures. He thinks of these sculptures as closed systems with an internal logic, as well as attempts at making a ‘necessary composition’. Through the works’ development, he is interested in how observing or disregarding aspects of these arbitrary rules aid the progression of a form.

A similar set of formal choices are reflected in his paintings. Working in series, he considers each picture as forming part of a ‘modular suite’. Paintings may be added, subtracted or rearranged within a group to create new combinations of images. He is particularly drawn to the possibility of an open-ended reading of the works within this system.

Benjamin Cosmo Westoby (b. 1984) studied MA Photography at the Royal College of Art, 2013-2015. He lives and works in London, United Kingdom.