Metal-urgist

Alex Coolman

There are artists who cultivate an aristocratic disdain for the demands

of the marketplace, and then there are artists like Brett Rubbico.

Rubbico loves the marketplace, and he wants the marketplace to love him

back.

The Costa Mesa resident made a splash in the local art scene recently

with his sculptures constructed from pieces of Harley Davidson

motorcycles. He’s had solo shows in galleries, restaurants and bike shops

around Orange County.

But as the thrill of his initial success has worn off, Rubbico has come

to a realization; the motorcycle thing is great, he says, but he has more

to offer the world as an artist.

“It’s kind of a limited niche market,” he now says of his sculptures.

In order to escape this economic niche, Rubbico has come up with a new

concept, one that’s currently on display at the Newport Beach Central

Library in an exhibit called “A Metallic Canvas.”

“I’ve kind of steered in a little different direction,” Rubbico said.

“I’m doing oil paintings on aluminum now.”

The aluminum canvases feature work that is both abstract and

representational. “I kind of want that to be my trademark,” Rubbico said

of the metal backgrounds. The different styles are an attempt to broaden

the work’s customer base, he said.

“I’m trying to appeal not just to one particular individual. I’m trying

to appeal to a large band of people,” Rubbico said. “If you concentrate

too heavily on one type [of art], you narrow your market.”

Of course, the new approach also poses the risk of diluting the novelty

that made Rubbico’s first work appealing. But the artist considers this

outcome unlikely.

“The artwork is definitely evolving,” Rubbico said. “And it’s coming to a

place where I’ve had enough feedback from enough people to realize what

the marketplace bears.”

“A Metallic Canvas” is on display through Dec. 3 at the Newport Beach

Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave. A reception featuring an appearance by

Rubbico is on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.