Scaffold artist’s work on show at Banksy theme park

Lancaster sculptor Ben Long is among the artists with work on display at Banksy’s theme park Dismaland.
A fairytale castle which forms part of Dismaland. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA WireA fairytale castle which forms part of Dismaland. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
A fairytale castle which forms part of Dismaland. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Two works by Ben, Horse Scaffolding Sculpture and Ice Cream Coving, feature in the park at the former Tropicana Lido in Weston uper Mare.

Dismaland, which runs until September 27, features artworks from 59 leading artists.

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Ben’s Horse Scaffolding Sculpture, a 30-foot equestrian sculpture made entirely from scaffolding components, has been installed among rides and large-scale artworks.

Ben Long's horse scaffolding sculpture at Banksy's Dismaland.Ben Long's horse scaffolding sculpture at Banksy's Dismaland.
Ben Long's horse scaffolding sculpture at Banksy's Dismaland.

Ben, who grew up in Brookhouse, builds his larger-than-life creations out of metal poles and screws using techniques he learned from a scaffolder.

As a teenager Ben worked as a general labourer on building sites in Lancaster and Morecambe with his dad, who was a construction site manager.

Ben attended Our Lady’s High School and later studied foundation art and design at the Adult College, Lancaster, before moving to London in 1998, where he studied graphic design at Camberwell College of Art, graduating with a first-class BA Hons in 2001.

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Ben has exhibited internationally, and his work forms part of major public and private collections in New York.

Dismaland is a temporary art project labelled “a sinister twist on Disneyland” and described by Banksy as “a family theme park unsuitable for children”.

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