Volcanic Ash and Lush Tropics Inspire Brian Rochefort’s Unearthly Ceramics
“Beni River” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches. All images © Brian Rochefort, courtesy of the artist and Sean Kelly, New York/Los Angeles, shared with permission
Volcanic Ash and Lush Tropics Inspire Brian Rochefort’s Unearthly Ceramics
September 10, 2024
Art Craft
Grace Ebert
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When Brian Rochefort travels, he’s inclined to visit remote parts of the planet. The depths of the Amazon, the volcanic island cluster of the Galápagos, and the immensely diverse ecosystem of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater have all drawn him in and once back in his Los Angeles studio, inspired the artist’s lushly textured sculptures.
Rochefort (previously) is known for his gloopy, chunky vessels that appear to ooze and gurgle with vivid color. A new body of work debuting at Sean Kelly, Los Angeles this month continues the artist’s interest in how abstract forms can translate the myriad textures and compositions of the natural world.
Detail of “Wet Season” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
Staring at the Moon presents Rochefort’s visions of barrier reefs, tropical forests, and volcanic matter into fantastic works. Cloaked in crackled, drippy, and rough chunks of color, each piece emerges through multiple applications of texture followed by as many firings, and sometimes, the glazes remain thicker than the ceramic base.
“One of the things I try to do is remove the hand. There are no brushstrokes. There are no fingerprints,” he said in a short film about the series. “It’s as if the piece came from outer space… or the depths of the ocean.”
Staring at the Moon runs from September 14 to November 2. Explore an archive of Rochefort’s work on Instagram.
“Wet Season” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
“The Whale” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
“Goddess” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
“Summer” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
Detail of “Goddess” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
“Belizian Swim” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
“Spray Ash” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches
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