As far back as I can remember, I have been a collector of things. From rocks and insects as a child, to broken technological objects today, I have been attracted to objects that inspire curiosity and wonder. Over time, my artistic practice has utilized this process of collecting and re-presenting objects.
I choose objects according to their use, form, and context. Many of the objects which I utilize have been discarded or broken, cast aside and eroded by time. Castings, constructions, and conglomerations of objects include foraged organic materials and fragments of debris from contemporary and historic waste heaps, contrasting natural decay and the entropy of the constructed environment.
In molding and reproducing these objects I engage in the act of sampling, a practice that has been integral to both my conceptual framework and artistic process, initially cultivated during my involvement with electronic music. Drawing parallels between sampling a sound and taking a mold of an object, I perceive this as a means of archiving and reconstructing physical information. Just as a musical sample can be removed from its original context and repurposed, these "samples" in the form of molded objects undergo a similar transformation. Reconstituted, remixed, and transmuted through the process of metal casting, these sculptures explore the legacy of objects and the question of their value within the modern cycle of creation, consumption, and discard.
Chris Collins is a multi-disciplinary artist, designer, and educator based in rural Pennsylvania. Raised in Alabama, he earned a BFA in painting from the University of Montevallo and an MFA in sculpture from Memphis College of Art. His artistic journey into metal casting led him to Santa Fe in 2006, where he immersed himself in the art foundry industry for more than a decade.
Beyond his roles as an artist and artisan, Collins co-founded an artist-run gallery and served as contributing faculty at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. In 2017, he moved to Los Angeles, working at Louis Stern Fine Arts and serving on the faculty at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo until 2023. Currently, Collins offers instruction in the lost wax casting process though workshops at Yucca Valley Material Lab.
Design work in collaboration with Jennifer Joseph can be found at aerisbotanica.com