Originally from the sunny beaches of California, glass artist Criss Chaney is about to make it big in the North East. Having set up a business designing and making small bowls and jewellery, she has now set her sights on taking on huge architectural pieces – but she needs your help!
Criss, who studied at California College of the Arts in San Francisco, transferred to the University of Sunderland to finish her degree. “It was a leap of faith”, she says, “I’d never been out of the country, and I had always planned to stay in England. The fact that the University was so supportive of its students starting their own businesses and that the glass department was housed within the National Glass Centre, was a big factor for me when deciding to choose Sunderland.”
Criss’ work deals with developing texture by integrating metals into the glass while hot, and then exploiting techniques for working with both materials. Inspired by prehistory her current work takes on forms reminiscent of stones and geodes, dealing with questions of the origin of the universe, life, and humanity. Her work makes people question their views on glass and push the boundaries between glass and other materials. It is important that her objects have interior and exterior space for the viewer to enjoy and interact with. Viewers must get up close to the works in order to take in all their intricacies and subtleties. “My sculptural pieces have a fascinating interior landscape, and I would like to bring that out on a much larger scale using my glass to enhance the built environment and engage the buildings users.”
Since graduating in 2006 Criss has set up her studio at the National Glass Centre and is exhibiting and selling her work internationally. She’ll be showing her work at the exclusive Mall Galleries in London in January 2009.
Although she does have ties all over the country, much of her work is made for the Northeast. One of her most recent commissions was to produce the artwork for the HSBC stand at the Newcastle Gateshead Art Fair in September. Last year she showed as part of the Shipley Gallery’s Christmas Present exhibition. She also created the awards for the Sunderland City Council’s Employee of the Year Awards, and the University of Sunderland’s Blueprint Awards. She is currently selling her work through Art Evolution.
She has now set her sight upon making larger, architectural pieces and has been one of only twenty artists selected to participate in a pilot public art training programme. Artbase Apprenticeships is a two year hands on course which includes live job shadowing with architects, engineers, and designers, as well as a two week internship at Impact Art, a London based Art Consultancy for both the public and private sector. The workshops and job shadowing will take place in locations across the country. “This is a really exciting programme to be a part of, we are working on live projects and making great contacts for the future. The other artists I have met on the programme are of the highest calibre, and I look forward to working with them and growing my art practice over the next two years.”
To find out more about Criss and her artwork please contact Art Evolution on info@artevolution.co.uk.
October 30, 2008 1:23pm
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