MASSIMODECARLO proudly presents Paint Can, a collection of unique ceramic works by Los Angeles-based artist Brian Rochefort.

Among his notable series, the Paint Cans stand out as vibrant testaments to Rochefort’s innovative approach to ceramics. In this series, the artist transforms humble paint cans into enigmatic objets d'art, reimagining their utilitarian form into playful and dynamic compositions.


Each piece in the Paint Can series is a riot of color and texture, with layers of glaze applied in bold strokes and drips that seem to defy gravity. Rochefort's mastery of glazing techniques allows him to create intricate patterns and organic forms that evoke the unpredictable beauty of nature. The surfaces of his sculptures are alive with energy, as if frozen in a moment of chaotic splendor.

What sets Rochefort's Paint Cans apart is his ability to imbue them with a sense of narrative and emotion. While they retain the recognizable shape of their mundane counterparts, they transcend their origins, becoming vessels of imagination and expression. Each can seems to tell a story, hinting at the artist's creative process and the myriad influences that inform his work. The genesis of the Paint Can series draws inspiration from the iconic image of Francis Bacon's chaotic studio, wherein brushes and paint cans sprawl in the room's epicenter.


Each cylinder's surface pays homage to abstract painters whom Rochefort deeply admires, such as Joan Mitchell, Albert Oehlen, and Willem de Kooning. Historically, utilitarian vessels bore narratives of daily life or tales of their creators. In Rochefort's reinterpretation, however, the narrative unfolds through his glazing process, a tribute to the artists who resonate profoundly with him.


Through the Paint Can series, Rochefort invites viewers to reconsider the familiar and discover the extraordinary in the everyday. His sculptures challenge conventional notions of ceramics as static and unchanging, embracing fluidity instead. With their vibrant colors, dynamic forms, and rich textures, Rochefort's Paint Cans are a testament to the enduring power of art to enchant and inspire.

Packaging
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The Artist

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Brian Rochefort

Brian Rochefort was born in Lincoln, Rhode Island, in 1985. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.


Brian Rochefort primarily works with ceramic and glazes as a mixed media sculptor, creating one-of-a-kind vibrant sculptures covered in abstract patterns and fascinating textural features. The process of his work involves breaking apart unfired clay objects and layering them up with more material, then firing between each layer of glaze to produce volcanic masses and craters overflowing with colour. The surfaces of the sculptures are a blend of rough, uneven clumps and smooth, bubbly drips, all suspended in place by the kiln firing.


Rochefort’s work is in the permanent collection of the NMAC Foundation, Cádiz, Spain; the Zabludowicz Collection, London; the Chapman University, Orange and the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, USA. Rochefort was awarded the Lillian Fellowship from the Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts in Montana, 2007-2008.

Credits Dustin Aksland NYTM DM Ppiy