City Blocks, Robots, Car Parts: Sculpture by John Brickels
John Brickels is a sculptor working primarily in stoneware clay. Based in Lowell, Massachusetts, the artist has made a career out of sculpting miniature buildings and city blocks, robots, car parts, and other mechanical apparati out of clay.
John has a clear skill for the method of sculpture and for finding a balance between strict realism and artistic whimsy in his artworks. In his City Buildings series, the artist creates sculptures of multi-story buildings, usually brick-walled brownstones, mills, and shops. Each brick is carefully sculpted as though it is integral to the structure of the building. As a whole, though, the works are often slightly curved or warped, giving one an almost nostalgic impression, like the fond recollection of a building not seen since childhood, giving a slightly exaggerated impression of the proportions.
John’s robot sculptures are imbued with a delightful sense of personality -- the artist takes care to sculpt cartoonish yet human-like facial features and expressions, adding unique details to each of the robot sculptures so that they feel like fully realized characters, each with their own unique narrative and role to play.
