Wie ich erst jetzt erfuhr, starb der Chirurg aus Seattle schon am 15.April im hohen Alter von 86 Jahren. Aus dem Nachruf von Edmonds Beacon:
„He was most renowned, however, for his artwork. Despite never taking an art class, Ben began designing and creating ingenious and humorous wind-powered contraptions using a surgical scalpel to carve his creations.
Known as whirligigs, they featured as many as 30 moving parts and gears, setting a half-dozen mechanical actions into motion, showcasing Ben’s clever humor. His whirligigs have been featured on television and at art exhibits, including the Museum of American Folk Art in New York, American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, and Bellevue Art Museum.“
Ich wiederhole deswegen das 3-Minuten-Video von 2012 mit einer Kompilation seiner Werke, die zum Besten dieses Folkart-Genres gehören:
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