By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Local artist Carly Maurin is buckling down to prepare for her big gallery showing on Aug. 1.
The 25-year-old, who doubles as a reference assistant at St. John the Baptist Parish Library, will have five of her sculpture pieces on display at an art gallery at 930 Poydras St. in New Orleans. Objects fashioned from wood, stone or metal may come to mind when mentioning sculpture, but Maurin mostly works with soft-form mediums. Her focus pieces are a series of large fleas cobbled together from layers of material, all with different themes.
Yes, fleas. But why choose an insect?
“I want to get a mixed reaction out of them. Fleas are such a horrible problem, but I want to create this beauty in this ugly, horrifying thing. That’s what I’m really searching for as an artist, the reaction,” she said, of her muse du jour. “My art has kind of a humor in it.”
So far, she has 10 completed fleas. Maurin is also working on an American flag-themed sculpture that will she said will speak on social issues, but it is still under wraps.
Maurin said she has always been pretty creative, so her work is nothing unusual for her. Though she mostly does sculpting, she also draws and paints on occasion. She said “ideas are hard to come up with,” so she draws her inspiration from everyday things around her, like magazines, and particularly conversation with other artists.
Public reaction has long been a motivator for Maurin, who said she’s also made viral videos in the past that focus on channeling any strong emotion into a visual form. Maurin created one video, called “The Winkers,” while in college. “The Winkers” was inspired by a period in her life where she “got creeped out” by anyone who winked at her. Maurin said the video got a lot of hype. She has also sculpted a small series of less-than-charming clay garden gnomes
“Thomas Kincaide kind of stuff. Anyone who’s painting landscapes, that’s pretty much my enemy. I really like the anti-art movement,” said Maurin.
Maurin lends her artistic talents to the library’s staff and visitors. She was one of the masterminds behind the library’s recent Harlem Shake contribution, where she used her “Golden Flea” and “Cornbread Boy” sculpture as props.
She also helps create short-form puppet shows for the library’s younger visitors. Staff members have dubbed the shows “Le Petit Theatre,” after the revered French Quarter venue but also playing off “petit,” which means “small.”
Maurin said she has written one original play for the miniature shows called “The Perfect Brain.”
“My work is kind of puppety already, so I just apply that knowledge into generating puppets for the library whenever I need to,” she said. “My job at the library is really solid. It gives me an outlet for my creativity. I think they really appreciate that. Or I’d like to think they do,” she continued.
Maurin said she’s constantly working on her art and preparing herself for future opportunities.
Once she amasses enough pieces, she hopes to move on to bigger shows and maybe look into selling a few pieces.
“I’m hoping that I can use it as a platform. This is going to be really good exposure. There’s going to be hundreds of people at this art show. I’m just hoping to get exposure because I’m finally good enough to be in a good New Orleans art show,” she said.