The Summer brings a flurry of activity at the studio. Chris is prepping for his shows and the peak gallery season. He has several large installation pieces in progress and is excited for their debut this summer. With long days Chris can be found working late into the evening when it's cooler and the summer sunsets make beautiful backdrops for his larger work.
When working in large scale, Chris hoists the steel and secures it with chains and straps so he can see the piece unfold more clearly. Working with a special technique, he is "shadow welding" stainless steel and brass to many of his pieces. The overlay metal appears to be floating on top of the base metal of the sculpture. The steel slab he started with has some dramatic rust patina and is well textured due to the years of laying around in the dirt and weather. This kind of steel is a favorite palate of Chris'. He says the "personality" of the metal unfolds as it weathers. This is why Chris works with metal, it has long lasting features and yet changes and evolves over time.
