Artist Bernie Kaminski creates everyday objects out of paper mache. His array includes pill bottles, receipts, socks, and tennis balls—each fascinating in its dedication to craft. The pieces are sculpted to appear lifelike, but of course, the limitations of the material make it impossible to do so. Rather, there’s a delightful uncanniness. The folds in a pair of jeans are slightly too stiff, but they’re still there. The hand-painted Tab bottles have visible brush strokes that are like real cola sloshing around in the glass vessels.
Paper mache art elicits childhood memories for me. I used to craft things from it, and I’m going to paper mache some decorations for my booth at Handmadeland next month. Bernie’s creations and the period they represent—the latter half of the 20th century—evoke a certain nostalgia for a time that looks totally different from now. When life was analog, and our distractions weren’t digital.
See more of Bernie’s creations on his Instagram account.
Artist Bernie Kaminski creates everyday objects out of paper mache.
His array includes pill bottles, receipts, socks, and tennis balls—each fascinating in its dedication to craft.
