Andrew Chase is an artistic jack-of-all-trades. He is a skilled commercial photographer, a children’s book writer, and if that wasn’t enough, he is also a talented metal sculptor. Chase makes breathtaking large-scale mechanical sculptures from recycled automobile and plumbing parts. We caught up with the American artist to ask a few questions about his amazing artwork.
What is your background?
I've been a photographer for about 18 years, I started welding 15 years ago when I need security bars for my studio windows, and I couldn't afford to pay a company to build them. However, I could afford a small MIG welder. So I learned how to weld, and made them myself.
Please describe your artwork.
My photographs, furniture and sculpture all have something in common, they tend to be made of small pieces composited together, instead of single monolithic forms.
Are the sculptures mechanized?
They aren't mechanized, however all the joints rotate and can lock in place. Anything that looks like it could move, does move.
Do you use reclaimed materials to make the sculptures?
I use a lot of recycled materials in my work, mostly transmission and engine parts, as well as old electrical conduit, plumbing pipe, and plumbing fixtures. To me, manufactured things have a certain visual appeal and logic, they look, for lack of a better word, purposeful. If you look at a transmission part, you probably won't know what it does (I usually don't), but there's no doubt in your mind that it does something. Anyway, I use these worn, greasy, purposeful parts in my work to make it look believable and real. Also, the stuff is free. That's nice too.
Where do you get the materials?
I get most of my material from transmission and auto repair shops. They're usually happy to give me as much as I can take.
Do you always make animal sculptures?
Not always, I've made a couple of tanks, a humanoid robot, a gigantic Gothic cathedral and a conference table/early steam engine. So far though, animals are my favorite
Please describe your artistic process.
I start off with the head, that's the most important part and the easiest to get wrong. After the head's completed, I make a basic skeleton out of conduit, using bearings for the major joints. Once I get proportions right and everything is looking symmetrical, I start filling out the body, thickening the limbs, and adding pistons and gears where appropriate.
When deciding what to make, I try to draw parallels between existing machines and animals. For instance, a giraffe operates a lot like a crane; the major muscles that raise and lower a giraffe's neck are at the base of it's neck, controlling movement through long ligaments much the way a crane uses a winch at it's base to control it's long boom arm.
How long does it take to make one of your sculptures?
It takes about 80-120 hours to do a piece.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm working on a cheetah, it's coming together nicely but slowly. It will end up being about five feet long including the tail.
Do you have a dream sculpture you would like to make?
This will sound strange, but I'd really like to do a cool, ridiculously over-sized airport sculpture. Something gigantic, like a mammoth or a steam-punk blimp.
Are your sculptures for sale?
Right now, the only piece for sale is the giraffe, for US$6000. However, I do take commissions...
Where can people see your work?
At www.andrewchase.com or swing by the studio.
Anything you would like to add?
I originally built the animal sculptures to use as characters in "Timmy", a children's picture book I wrote.
Visit: www.andrewchase.com
Via: Ecofriend.org
Show/Hide comment form
