Artist and fabricator Benedict Radcliffe reflects on the process of creating his signature wireframe cars.
For Benedict Radcliffe, art is the process, no matter how hard it is. An artist and fabricator, based in London, Radcliffe initially began training as a teacher, then an architect, before forging his own path; “I knew that I didn’t want to work in an office - I was much more comfortable in a workshop,” he explains.
“There’s a huge amount of self discipline when you’re in charge of your own destiny,” he adds, but that did little to dampen his mission. In 2012, Radcliffe designed and fabricated the Quaker Street Bowl, which quickly became the city’s premier skate venue. “But it can be a struggle sometimes. Perfectionism can cause procrastination,” he adds.
Today, Radcliffe’s work focuses on automotive icons, stripping their silhouettes back to remarkable wireframes. Whether at smaller scales or life-size models, each piece remains hand-crafted. “It’s a mission. We’re grafting, putting the hours in, somehow trusting the process that it’s going to structurally work and also visually represent the Porsche 959. The real pleasure comes from completing the project. I love seeing the idea work out - that’s good fun.”
