Brooklyn, NEW YORK—Christopher Maschinot was no where to be found yesterday afternoon, but while the public explored Screwball Spaces, visiting the studios of artists participating in GO Brooklyn, his work represented him well.
Maschinot is working on an intriguing series. The variously hued, precisely carved mini-busts are hard to pin down—their features are alien in nature, yet they also have the appearance of weary elderly men. The figures crowd a shelf in the artist’s space in the ceramic studio at the Red Hook building. Maschinot has penchant for facial features—several sculpted masks are underway on the shelf below the small figures and the back of his business card is emblazoned with heads.
Detail of figures on studio shelf.
Arts Observer reached out to Maschinot to learn more about the collection of small sculptures, which he describes as a work in progress:
“I have always had a fascination with faces. I am interested in exploring the way subtle (and not so subtle) changes in facial features can dramatically change the identity and emotion of the figure and how these changes act as a form of unspoken communication between people,” he responded by email.
“There is nearly an equal number of figures currently under construction. Most will be displayed as a crowd, but as they have sat in my studio I noticed that several pieces seem to be in communication with one another through facial expression and body language. I plan to select a few pairs and trios to create smaller vignettes.”
All photos © Arts Observer
The unpainted figures are composed of five different colors of high-fired clay.
