Brothel by Robert Kobayashi is constructed primarily from the artist’s signature ceiling tin, a material through which his ingenuity and commitment to repurposing truly shone. Following a move to Little Italy in the late Seventies, Kobayashi found his medium in the piles of construction debris that lined Elizabeth Street following a period of gentrification. Ceiling tin ripped from the neighboring lofts and tenement buildings were supplemented by the contributions of the neighborhood children who frequented Kobi’s storefront studio. Their scavenging no doubt played a role in the composition of Brothel with it’s found printed tin floral and hatched “wallpaper,” the use of brushed tin for the mirror is similarly inspired.

Here a hand alluringly pulls back a striking red curtain, drawing the viewer into the scene. Despite the work being entirely metal, Kobayashi convincingly suggests a range of textures: from the grain of a wooden dresser to the gleam of a mirror and the soft drape of the curtains. Brothel serves as an exemplary piece in showcasing Kobayashi's ability to animate rigid materials with warmth and depth.