Current Exhibition

For August 2024, ZIMMERMAN is delighted to introduce a series of sculptural works by Masterton artist, Ian Chapman.

The exhibition features 11 wall-mounted robot busts. Each is 3D-printed from the artist's original designs, then hand-painted with acrylic, enamel and oil paints, making every robot distinctive and unique.

Here the robots are cast as characters from Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The actors assembled for this show include the impish Puck, the strong-willed fairy queen Titania, the fiery Oberon and the comic Bottom.

The artist notes "AI may be able to produce art, but will it ever be able to truly create original works? Will it understand what it is to create - or what indeed it has created - and what it may mean to another?

The robots in this show are actors portraying characters. They may deliver the lines perfectly, but may never understand the nuances, humour and imperfections of the people they are portraying - and is it even their place to do so?"

A full artist's statement, work details and brief artist's bio are set out beneath the images below.

Artist's statement for A Midsummer Night's Dream

“An infinite number of typing monkeys, given an infinite amount of time, will eventually type the works of Shakespeare.

Note that I say type and not create. The creating is what is important.

AI may be able to produce art, but will it ever be able to truly create original works? Will it understand what it is to create - or what indeed it has created - and what it may mean to another?

The robots in this show are actors portraying characters. They may deliver the lines perfectly, but may never understand the nuances, humour and imperfections of the people they are portraying - and is it even their place to do so?

I want robots (AI) to do the jobs that I don’t want to do, so that I have more time to create - not the other way round!”

Robots featured in these images

- Bottom (blue with red eyes) - 290 x 260 x 230 mm

- Demetrius (bronze with red eyes) - 290 x 280 x 210 mm

- Flute (beige with blue eyes) - 310 x 220 x 230 mm

- Helena (orange with blue eyes) - 290 x 280 x 200 mm

- Hermia (light blue with red eyes) - 270 x 230 x 220 mm

- Hippolyta (cream with blue eyes) - 310 x 240 x 240 mm

- Lysander (bronze with blue eyes) - 290 x 220 x 210 mm

- Oberon (red with blue eyes) - 300 x 270 x 260 mm

- Philostrate (bronze with blue eyes) - 310 x 230 x 230 mm

- Puck (rusty with red eyes and pink smile) - 270 x 200 x 180 mm

- Titania (pink with blue eyes) - 300 x 230 x 220 mm

All works are by Ian Chapman (2024), 3D-printed PLA, acrylic, enamel & oil paints

Ian Chapman – brief artist bio

Born in Brighton, England, Ian Chapman trained in Visual Art at Masterton Polytechnic in the Wairarapa. Ian has been involved with King Street Artworks in Masterton since its inception in 1997, first as a tutor and now as Manager.

Ian describes himself as "Mr Bean and George Clooney's love child. Desperately normal on the outside and a little irregular on the inside. Or is it the other way round?"

Key influences in his work include 50's sci fi, steampunk, antique toys and "anything retro".

Exhibition runs from 1 August to 1 September 2024, gallery open 11am to 3pm Thursday to Sunday