\u201cI like a lot of the sculptors from the Renaissance and I like the special effects guys from the movie business,\u201d says Vancouver sculptor Jesse Rubin<\/strong>. His pieces reflect that duality \u2013 beautifully rendered and finely detailed human shapes married with a touch of the bizarre, a unique combination that, admittedly, can weird people out. And oh yes, they stand no more than 20 inches tall.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Standing Alien and Ancient Being<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rubin can\u2019t explain his fascination with creepy creatures or why he works with such tiny figures. \u201cI don\u2019t have a good answer for that other than I\u2019m attracted to small sculptures having a lot of detail packed into a small area,\u201d he says. True, his Dad was a jeweller, accustomed to intricate detail, but Rubin says he was never interested in the trade nor did he build scale models as a kid. \u201cI glued a few pieces and lost interest. I never did any of that stuff,\u201d he says. His favorite artists are creature and character designer Jordu Schell<\/a> and hyper realistic sculptor Ron Mueck<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Rubin works in a plasticine-like product called Sculpey. (He tried clay but it didn\u2019t work). Sculpey allows him to work everything, veins, arteries, nails and tendons into the piece, size as, before firing it in a low-temperature oven. \u201cI make a silicone mold and then I reproduce it in a translucent, skin coloured resin and from that point I can begin the painting process.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Heads of Standing Alien (left) and Ancient Being<\/strong><\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t draw beforehand, preferring to use his imagination and work everything out as he progresses. He got the inspiration for \u201cMan Walking Pet\u201d while watching a WWI documentary \u2013 \u201cI just loved this guy\u2019s face\u201d \u2013 and putting the recorder on \u201cPause\u201d so he could sculpt a head from the still frame. After he completed the head, he hired a friend to pose for the body. \u201cSo then I put the two together and decided to build a creature.\u201d\u00a0 The creature is the kicker to the piece, a bat-winged gargoyle, a stark contrast to the amiable individual walking his pet, or in this case, his monster.<\/a>Man Walking Pet<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/a>Man Walking Pet Detail<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>The head of Man Walking Pet <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMan on Couch\u201d is just as striking although the subject is resting and there\u2019s nary a monster in sight. \u201cCouch\u201d takes on an ethereal quality, closer to Mueck in tone than Schell. \u00a0It\u2019s hard to believe this level of sophistication is coming from an individual who has had no formal training in art or anatomy. \u201cIt was often a painful learning process and there was a lot of frustration,\u201d he says of his early days. Now that he\u2019s found his voice and his style, the up-and-coming artist is\u00a0realizing commissions and exhibitions. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to please myself and if good things happen along the way, that\u2019s great,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Man on Couch<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/a>Man on Couch Detail<\/strong><\/p>\n

+\u00a0Jesse Rubin<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI like a lot of the sculptors from the Renaissance and I like the special effects guys from the movie business,\u201d says Vancouver sculptor Jesse Rubin. His pieces reflect that duality \u2013 beautifully rendered and finely detailed human shapes married with a touch of the bizarre, a unique combination that, admittedly, can weird people out. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":44245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[7353,7596,6954,7597,7598],"yoast_head":"\n