Événement

Plastic Man: the artful life of Jerry Ross

He grew up in a "tough guy," San Francisco Jewish family, which knew more about boxing and mob connections than it did about art. Maybe he would become a bail bondsmanbut the go-to bondsman for long-haired 'sixties' protestors? And an upstart sculptor and filmmaker? Barrish's long and circuitous route as an artist always on the verge, rubbing shoulders with the successful and celebrated while never quite breaking through, is the dramatic tale told in Plastic Man. It finds him at a seeming artistic standstill about 25 years ago, living next to a trash-strewn beach in Pacifica, California. Creative by necessity, he begins collecting the detritus, especially the discarded plastic, and assembling it into whimsical, evocative, poignant human and animal figures. Barrish reassembles his life as a sculptor, but hits another snag: the art world approves of the imagination, but scorns the material. Barrish's beloved plastic won't do for the world of galleries and collectors.