Mardi Gras masks

Paul Gobell: Artist Statement

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I am a Connecticut native and studied art at Central Connecticut State University.

As a sculptor my focus is on primitive, indigenous and interactive art forms. The following is some of my recent work:

• Mardi Gras masks: what pulls me into masks is how a person's sense of self is altered when wearing a mask.
• Bonsai Trees: their quiet stillness possesses a meditative essence.
• Games: each game is uniquely created and when played people truly are interacting with art.
• Surreal Teapots: non-functional and organic teapots.
• G W Bush Voodoo Doll: invites the viewer to engage in a pin thrust.
  

The western world has defined art as being within the realm of the artificial and, consequently, an art piece is to be seen at a distance and not fully interacted with except possibly in an emotional or intellectual manner. The world at large has been creating art that has invited the viewer not only to feel and think but also to touch, hold and become one with. The Punu tribe of western and central Gabon on the african continent has been creating masks of magical beauty comprised of fine lines, representing an idealized face for centuries. Dancers wear these masks during ritualistic funerals and are transformed into the embodiments of the spirits of their ancestors. Not only has the Punu tribe's artist created a piece of art, but also the members of the Punu community join with this art and experience a powerful transformation. As a member of the western world I thirst for such an experience.

The following are some of the places where my work has been shown:

• The William Benton Museum, Storrs, CT
• The New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
• The Stone Fish Gallery, West Hartford, CT
• Renana Gallery, Middletown, CT
• Ellen Traut Collection, Hartford, CT