Fashion icon, former milliner and Belgian artist Christophe Coppens kicked off his first-ever Los Angeles presentation of 50 Masks Made in America on May 11, 2016, at Please Do Not Enter, an eclectic shop of high-end goods handpicked by owners Nicolas Libert and Emmanuel Renoird. We caught up with Coppens prior to the opening reception and debut of his newest work to learn all about his creative endeavors.
The eye-catching exhibit features 50 handcrafted, mixed-media sculptural masks, made by the now LA-based Coppens. When first meeting Coppens, his polite, down-to-earth demeanor is the first thing that stands out amongst his cutting edge and thought-proving exhibit.
Now a four-year Los Angeles resident, Coppens explained his introduction to Libert and Reniord stemmed from the amazing job they were doing with Please Do Not Disturb.
“There’s not so many places like this in LA or even the United States,” said Coppens. “To bring in all these quality products and artworks that are on the edge of art, fashion, culture … I immediately felt a sensibility … it is always what I’ve been doing … always on the edge of certain worlds, never really fitting in in any of them.”
The artist’s background spans theater and fashion, much like Libert and Renoird’s storefront, and this unique intersection sparked the trio’s talks of collaboration. Interestingly, the store owners were already familiar with Coppen’s work from his time living in Belgium.
As a trained theater director and accessories designer, Coppens has 21 years of experience under his belt working in Belgium, Paris and Japan designing for well-known artists like Irish singer Roïsin Murphy, the Belgian Royal Family, Beth Ditto, Grace Jones, Rihanna and Scissor Sisters. He has also worked on fashion show collaborations for prominent designers such as Manish Arora, Guy Laroche, JuunJ and Issey Miyake.
Coppens’ present exhibit is heavily informed by his transition to Los Angeles from Europe which he says has sped by.
“Since I moved here I really said goodbye to the fashion scene,” said Coppens. In an effort to transition from his previous work, he distanced himself from old techniques and began painting, sculpting and more. In this show, Coppens’ former and present techniques collide for the first time.
“It’s like I’m no longer scared to use the needle and the thread. It’s not the enemy of my artwork … So I embrace my past, my techniques in couture, and I use them to say things that have nothing to do with fashion. That’s really my medium today and I really enjoy that.”
Coppens says he worked on 50 Masks Made in America for three months non-stop in an effort to creatively express cultural ideas that stuck with him. “As a European, you’re raised with American culture and pop culture … you speak English because of the music. You know the tv series … you’re raised with Dynasty … it’s part of your culture. So, all that is in the back of my mind and you think when you move here that you know America, and then you arrive here and there’s so many layers that you discover and so many things that you like and don’t like … and that’s what I’m trying to express. It’s really about my journey as a European, being a guest in this country, trying to make sense out of stuff I see. [The exhibit is] not complete at all — I would have to make 400 masks in order for it to be complete.”
He added, “It’s all based on traditional couture hat-making crafts – that’s the start of everything and that’s my past that I’ve been dismissing for four years now, saying that’s no longer me, but now I’m like, ‘What the hell? I don’t care. Call it whatever you want. It’s okay. Relax.’ So, I’m less uptight about it now. I think that’s what makes [the masks] special … that it’s on the edge of those things again. I’ve been living on that edge for a long time and I don’t think I will ever make choices, so it suits me fine.”
Most recently, Coppens held two shows in Belgium and two others in New York and Tokyo that included paintings only; he held two prior sculpture shows. He says he is inspired by “life, people, love, stuff, everything,” and describes the process as “a non-stop machine.”
“It’s like I feel constantly like a child discovering new stuff.”
Coppens puts the message of his work at the forefront and has made connecting with local craftspeople a priority. Every metal stand in the exhibit is handmade by a local welder Coppens recently met.
“It’s a pity to put them out actually … the stands are so pretty … and [Joe] also made things for me in wood. [I’m] meeting all these people and using it in my work along the way. My neighbor … [who heads the Jim Henson Studios] showed me all these techniques, materials and was very inspiring too.”
Coppens said he’d like to continue working with high-profile personalities, if possible.
“It’s not something that drives me, but it’s fun and looks good on a resume. [Laughs] … I love other artists, other musicians. It’s an interaction.”
After transitioning to Los Angeles Coppens says, “I love this city and it’s gonna be really hard to one day adopt any other city. I think it has the best of many worlds.” Los Angeles’ transformation from cultural underdog to a city with a fresh, vibrant art scene thrills Coppens.
“The things that are happening are not pretentious … you can feel it underneath the surface … lots of things have been bubbling … the world is discovering that too and that’s what is really exciting about LA right now,” said Coppens.
The upcoming project on Coppens’ agenda is entirely different in nature. From this weekend on he will begin directing and staging an opera set for March 2018. Though the project will launch in Europe, Coppens still has his eyes set on another show he’d like to do here in Los Angeles.
He says, “It’s ambitious, so … let’s start with this one. [Laughs] Let’s see how it goes.”
Christophe Coppens: 50 Masks Made in America is now showing at Please Do Not Enter, 549 S. Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013, through July 16, 2016.
Photos by Keri Freeman
