Isaac Paris
I was born in Trenton New Jersey, and originally came to New York to study Graphic Arts & Design at Pratt Institute. I left Pratt Institute after 2 1/2 years and transferred to Parsons School of Design, where I received my BFA with Honors, in Communications Design. I’ve enjoyed making my living as a graphic designer, art director, and teaching in the communication design department at Pratt Institute and the Fashion Institute of Technology. But I’ve been in heaven here on earth when I’m painting portraits. I’m self-taught artist that dropped the one painting class I ever took after the Instructor told me to stop using my brush like a pencil. She was right, but that was the only way I know how to paint, and still do. A dry brush technique.
In my effort to be more environmentally aware, and having the desire to do something useful with these discarded materials, I’ve combined my love for animals and collecting African masks, to creating masks mainly from plastic containers. The other materials used are container tops, African cowrie shells, raffia grass, plastic, mesh bags, umbrella handles, pill bottles, plastic spoons, bones, spring wire, cable wire, rope, and tops (lotion pump tops, mayo squeeze bottle tops, etc.)
Currently and for the last few years I’ve been creating masks that resemble somewhat familiar animal forms and could also acknowledge possible extinct ones. A one-word description of these masks is the “Reycarnation (Recycle and Reincarnation)”.
Because of my history of collecting African masks, I create my masks with the objective that they could also be placed in any setting, from luxurious, modern, or traditional.
In moving forward artistic I’ve reduced my teaching schedule down to only two courses per semester, so I could focus on my animal masks.