When Bernie Kaminski sculpts his objects from papier-mâché, he does so from a suitable place: his kitchen table.
Using the sticky pulp, the artist creates lifelike iterations of everyday objects you might find on a New York street corner or tucked away in an apartment: a Lox bagel with red onion and schmear, a row of metal mailboxes, and a canvas LL Bean bag filled with tennis balls. Some works are one-off, such as the tighty whities or the telephone booth, and others form a small part of a larger composition.
Kaminski’s medicine cabinet, for example, has four shelves filled with various over-the-counter treatments and prescriptions. The branding is reminiscent of decades ago, and closer inspection reveals small price tags that offer a glimpse of a time when a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy didn’t involve as much pain at the checkout as it does today.
The box of matchbooks is similar. The items, with names like Jerry’s and Odeon, are reminiscent of classic New York restaurants, some of which have been in business for decades and others that closed their doors years ago.
Kaminski is currently working on a pair of tube socks and preparing for an exhibition in early 2025. You can follow his latest sculptures on Instagram.
