MID-CENTURIA : Art, Design and Decor from the Mid-Century and beyond: BJ Las Poñas Sculptures

I discovered the work of artist BJ Las Poñas a few months ago and since that time I have wanted to share his incredible sculptures. There is something mesmerizing about the tactile quality of his work that draws you in.

Wanting to include some additional information on BJ and his work, but not finding much on the web, I decided to contact him directly.

BJ is a self-taught artist and although he did study under noted sculptor Ellen Lowenstein for 3 years, it was primarily a "hands-off" self-discovery type of independent study. He currently works from his studio in New York, where he produces pieces that are sold primarily by word-of-mouth to private collectors throughout the US, Italy, Japan and Australia. Incredibly so, his work has never been exhibited, which I would like to point out is not because it is "undeserving", but rather in BJ's own words, because he is "not the campaigning type."

When I asked BJ to describe his work and its inspiration, he stated:

"I think most of mine [inspiration] tends to be philosophical, in that I like things that are rough, clearly man-made, aged...very wabi-sabi in that sense. I tend not to strive for perfection - my emphasis is more on balance. Point/counterpoint, with equal emphasis on positive and negative spaces and how that dynamic plays out when the sculpture is lit up [under lights]. If I can provide feelings of "balanced tension" or a "fluid awkwardness" to the viewer, I feel as though I've done a decent job."

Artists that inspire his work are; Isamu Noguchi, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Barbara Hepworth, Theodore Roszak, Alicia Penalba, Henry Moore, Peter Voulkos, Seymour Lipton and Jacques Lipchitz.

At the time of this post, BJ has select pieces available through Corrine Robbins Gallery in New York and Just In Modern in Berkeley, California.