“Paint Can 8” (2019), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 12 × 12 × 11 inches. All images © Brian Rochefort, by Marten Elder, courtesy of MASSIMODECARLO, shared with permission
Bulging hunks of glaze and smooth, speckled drips flow from ’s chunky ceramic sculptures. The Los Angeles-based artist continues his signature abstract style in a newer series of paint cans and oozing vessels, many of which resemble the crusty remnants of volcanic eruptions. Rochefort builds each piece from a combination of clay, glaze, and glass fragments through multiple rounds of firing in the kiln. The final assemblages are literally overflowing with speckles, gloopy lumps, and delicately cracked patches all layered in a kaleidoscope of color and texture.
In a note to Colossal, the artist describes his process as multi-faceted with a diverse array of influences that range from visual to intellectual and historical. The most important, though, are from travel and experiences outside of his studio or gallery spaces. “My work is generated from numerous trips to remote areas in Latin America and Africa such as the Bolivian Amazon, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. I think of myself as an authentic abstract artist and place importance behind the criticality of experiencing these environments in person,” he says.
Rochefort’s sculptures are on view at in Los Angeles through June 26, and you can follow his drippy works on .
“Paint Can 6” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 12 × 11 × 11 inches
“Paint Can 7” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 12 × 13 × 11 inches
Detail of “Fiery Dawn” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 22 × 20 × 22 inches
“Rocksteady” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 × 23 × 21 inches
Left: Right: “Paint Can 1” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 11 × 11 × 9 inches
“Paint Can 3” (2020), ceramic, glaze, 12 × 11 × 11 inches
Top left: “Rarity” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 21 × 21 × 22 inches. Top right: “Supervolcano” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 21 × 21 × 20 inches. Bottom left: “Fiery Dawn” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 22 × 20 × 22 inches. Bottom right: “Captain Planet” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 × 22 × 20 inches
Detail of “Rocksteady” (2020), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 × 23 × 21 inches