Sculpting Paper Birds with Roberto Benavidez – G24070208
In this class we sculpt birds using paper as our primary medium. Roberto is an artist specializing in the piñata form so his approach to paper sculpting is piñata-based. We will first explore the paper mache technique and then the different materials that can be used along side of it. We will discuss the approach of recycling by using materials that can found readily in your home as well as the approaching carefully selecting materials that can extend the life of your creation. In addition, we will incorporate paper sculpting exercises into the workshop to give you a broader sense of sculpting with this medium outside of the bird form.
Please bring in a hardcopy print of the bird you would like to make – preferably the size you would like your bird sculpture to be. I will guide you on how to use this print as a scale/proportion reference. Please keep prints 11×17 or smaller.
Instructor
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Roberto BenavidezRoberto Benavidez is a sculptor specializing in the piñata form. Prior to the piñata form he worked in metal-casting in an abstract figurative style. Benavidez exhibited his bronze works in group shows and received two merit-based art scholarships from Pasadena City College. Longing for more accessible materials, Benavidez switched to paper and focused on the piñata technique. Benavidez plays with the underlying themes of race and sin innate in the piñata, layered with his identity as a mixed-race queer artist, with a focus on impeccable craftsmanship. His most notable series, Piñatas of Earthly Delights, is based on the fanciful creatures that roam Hieronymus Bosch’s, The Garden of Earthly Delights, and was exhibited at the AD&A Museum on the campus of UC Santa Barbara. Benavidez’s sculptures have been featured in national, international and on-line publications, including ARTnews, Artsy, Atlas Obscura, hifructose.com, Hyperallergic, Politiken, The Guardian, The New York Times and This Is Colossal. He has exhibited his work in numerous group and solo shows, including at Craft In America, Mesa Contemporary Art Museum, Art Design & Architecture Museum at USB and Palo Alto Art Center, to name a few. Benavidez’s Javelina Girl (Illuminated Piñata No. 14) was featured on the cover of The New York Times, Fine Arts & Exhibits section on October 23, 2022 .