About the Artist
“Sculpture is a visual language. Using recycled materials is not only a powerful image about our choices, but also connects the audience to the artwork through their own personal experiences with those materials.”
Artist Christopher Fennell builds structural skeletons from discarded or found objects. The materials he chooses have been cast out or devalued by society and so his selections are based on the kind of message or impact each piece should convey. This is how a demolished barn can become a wave, broken bicycles transform into a tornado, and downed trees can be given a second life as a pillar of fire.
Chris’s creative inspiration comes from two places: engineering and art. His background in engineering provides a singular understanding of how the materials can be formed, shaped and connected into a structure. His vision as an artist and his sense of humor bring the parts together in a form that is not only pleasing, but often thought-provoking and dynamic, challenging the viewer to look past the recognizable shape to see how everything is connected.
Many of Chris’s pieces encourage people to participate, to place themselves inside or to pass underneath and through, seeing the form from several angles. Each piece is site-specific, taking advantage of the surrounding landscape and architecture and often incorporating regional or cultural hallmarks. The placement of every piece of sculpture is carefully selected for the maximum effect of discovery and scale.
Awards and Honorariums
- Industrial Pipe Wave, Best Permanent Public Art, Best of Phoenix, Phoenix New Times, Phoenix, AZ, 2022
- Board Caterpillar, Second Place in Out of the Box, Juried, Auburn, AL, 2019
- Skate Leaves, Sculpture Garden, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Mongomery, AL, 2018
- Artist's Fire, Center Installation for Magic City Arts Festival, Birmingham, AL, 2009
- Sculpted Green, Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition 2008, Outdoor Installation, Bellevue, WA 2008
- Honorable Mention, National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, North Charleston, SC 2008
- Barn Pinecone, Brock Commons Outdoor Sculpture, Juried, Longwood University, Farmville, VA 2008
- Sculpture on Sample, Juried, Outdoor Installation, Coral Springs, FL 2007
- You, Me and the Bus, Juried, Bus Stop Bus Shelter, Athens, GA 2007
- The Sculpture Park at City Hall, Juried, Outdoor Map, Redding, CA 2007
- Uptown Sculpture Walk, Juried, Paddle Wave, Outdoor Installation, Columbus, GA 2007
- 20th Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Juried, Tree Arch, Outdoor Installation, Lawrence, KS, 2007
- Grand Esplanade Award, Sculpture Key West 2007, Fort Zachary, Key West, FL, 2007
- People’s Choice Award, 2nd Annual Public Art Exhibition, Foundation Art Center, St. Charles, MO, 2006
- Second Bi-Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Juried, Outdoor Installation, Chattanooga, TN, 2006
- Second Place, Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition, Juried Exhibition, Winter Haven, FL, 2006
- Best of Show, ArtInPlace, Juried Exhibition, Outdoor Installation, Charlottesville, VA, 2005
- The Lot, Juried Exhibition, Tree Dome, Outdoor Installation, New Haven, CT, 2005
- Turchin Art Center Outdoor Sculpture, Juried Exhibition, Board Caterpillar, Boone, NC, 2005
- Best of Show, The Sculpture Salmagundi 9, Indoor and Outdoor Juried Exhibition, Rocky Mount, NC 2005
- Outward Westward Exhibition, Tree Wave, Outdoor Installation, Riverton, WY, 2005
- Sculpture Salmagundi VII, Juried Exhibition, Bow Wave, Outdoor Installation, Rocky Mount, NC, 2003
- Start Up Grant, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, Inc., New York, NY, 2002
- Outstanding Student Achievement In Contemporary Sculpture, International Sculpture Center, 2002
- Research Grant, Bicycle Tornado, Outdoor Installation Ramsey Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 2001
- Patent Design Award, Motorola, Boynton Beach, FL, 1991
- Design Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1989
Publications
- Southwest The Magazine, "Your adventure in Scottsdale", Ben Marshall, pgs 59-66, Pace, January 2016
- AAA, New Mexico Journey, "Art for All", Ashley M. Biggers, pgs 18-21, Tamara Hill, May/June 2015
- UC Davis Magazine, "The Big Picture", Gregory Urquiaga, pgs 22-23, Volume 31, Number 2, Spring 2014
- Landscape Installation Art, Book, Bus Stop and Skate Benches, pgs 206-209, Ifengspace, 2012
- AIT, German Architecture Magazine, "Detail - Bus stop shelter from Christopher Fennell", pg 145, May 2011
- Iddeco, Tunesian Art Magazine, "Design avec objects recycles." pg 25, April 2011
- Blue Ridge Outdoors, "Green Heroes", Jedd Ferris, July, 2007
- New York Times, "In, Under and Around", Ben Genocchio, Section 14, January 22, 2006
- Rocky Mount Telegram, "Sculpture Event", Fred Marion, b1 July 21, 2005
- Austin American Statesman, "Turning Two Pest Into Art", Clair Osborn, b1 June 20, 2005
- Sculpture Magazine, vol 21 no 8, October 2002
Movie Appearances
- Canoe Wave in "The River Thief", 40:14 minutes into film, N.D. Wilson, 2016
- Canoe Wave in "DamNation", Travis Rummel and Ben Knight, 2014
Education
- MFA, Sculpture, University of Georgia, 2002
- BA, Sculpture, University of South Florida, 1993
- BSME, Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, 1989
