Would anyone have thought that screws and art could be related to each other in any way? Thanks to Chris Cole, we can say yes.
Screws and bolts are elements that often go unnoticed in everyday life, but someone has decided to make them prominent in his creations. There is, in fact, an artistic current called “Screw Art” that has expanded over time, attracting the interest of other artists from all over the world: the U.S., Italy, Korea, Canada.
Today we focus on Chris Cole, an American artist from Bend, Oregon, who has agreed to give us at Kilton an interview about his kinetic art.
Who Chris Cole is and how his passion for art and screws came about
Chris draws inspiration from his proximity to that nature that characterized his childhood, especially using the movement of animals for his metal sculptures.
Fascinated by the Industrial Revolution and the historical period of the 19th century, he was left with the impression of how machines and inventions slowly changed people’s lives. He learns from the teaching ability of:
- Machinists
- mechanics
- blacksmiths
- friends who try their hand at metal art.
“I have worked in bicycle stores as a mechanic for most of my life. For the last 35 years I have been collecting bicycle parts. I knew I wanted to reuse these parts into sculptures. So I started assembling bicycle parts and found objects in other abstract machines”.
Chris Cole’s art: from passion to work
For Chris Cole it all started as a passion and then became a job. Sure, he misses working with other people a bit and perceives it partly as a sacrifice (what field doesn’t require at least one?), but he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Chris finds the most significant moment of his career as an artist in his decision to quit his full-time job to follow his ambition.
For him, it was not a decision made lightly, and he tells us it was scary to leave behind a substantial salary to try to go his own way. His wife and friends were the key: they believed in him more than himself and fully supported him.
“I think being a full-time artist means being within your own head most of the time. Being in your own head can lead to a lot of self-criticism. This is something I work on every day that I’m in the store by myself.”
Screws, bolts and more in the art of Chris Cole
The raw material for his creations, comes from different mechanical bodies. Starting from bike parts collected over the years as a mechanic, to objects given by friends who think they might come in handy. He himself often visits a scrap yard from which he takes unique parts of:
- cars
- motorbikes
- boats
- tractors
He may try to reuse old metal objects, but he also does not disdain to buy new steel. Screws, nuts and bolts help hold it all together and allow his works the mobility that makes them spectacular.
What gives him the most satisfaction, however, is putting the finishing touches and adding decorative details to a sculpture: finishing it is the most rewarding part of all.
Metal doesn’t convey much, but art conveys everything. Chris would like to induce people who see his works to a sense of curiosity, to make them realize that in life there is never just one way.
The realization of the Owl he created as a Christmas window display for Barneys in New York City encapsulates not only this concept, but also his commitment: large, complicated, and to be built in a short time, it required all his effort, but in return it taught him to trust his instincts. Instead, the audience’s response was confirmation of the power of the art to intrigue and make people smile. Not surprisingly, it is his favorite piece.
“Keeping an open mind allows us to navigate life in the way that best suits us all as the individual spirit we all possess”
The artist’s role in society
According to Chris, the role of the artist in contemporary society is very complicated: the general view is of the shaky, unreliable, lazy artist. He tries to change this idea by presenting himself as an artist who is true to his word, reliable, honest, and hardworking. He tries to bring this mindset and make himself known mainly through his website, his gallery, and also by word of mouth.
His aspirations include working with other kinetic artists from other countries whom he admires, so that he can create more than what he could do on his own, and becoming a teacher for his specific artistic current.
He advises emerging artists not to second guess their talents, to strive to do better and better, to be persistent and learn from mistakes, not to get bogged down on the pursuit of perfection that he knows can leave one paralyzed.
“I learned that perfectionism can become paralyzing, because what you might see as less than perfect can be the part that others fall in love with.”
If you are interested in learning more interesting facts about Chris Cole and his art, here are some useful links:
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