Chris Wilson
"My work is inspired by nature. In particular, I am captivated by the beauty of birds and their ability to fly. While completing my Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture at Georgia State University, I traced my ancestor William Bartram's (America's first artist/naturalist) eighteenth-century journey through the Southeast. This experience left me with an over-whelming spiritual feeling, which I strive to capture in my work.
Working with a variety of media, ranging from abstract to realistic, I set out to capture each species unique characteristics, as they are revealed in a moment frozen in time. Some of my compositions depict the tension between wildlife and the viewer, suggesting the encroachment of man on the natural environment. Form, space, light, texture, and color work to illustrate a harmonious, thought-provoking sculpture, whether in wood, stone, bronze, or steel."
Sustainability
I salvage local, raw materials for my work. In fact, in the early 1990’s, I was offered two truckloads of Tupelo Gum trees, which were blown over by a storm in Georgia, in exchange for one of my wood duck decoys. I’m still using this wood today!
I only use dead, found wood or trees that have naturally fallen for my bases and interpretive wood sculptures. Then, I put new life into what God and nature has already sculpted! Even the stone and metal that I incorporate into my sculptures is usually material that has been discarded by others. Although it’s a time-consuming process, I feel very blessed in what I can transform from trash into treasure.
The UN World Commission on Environment and Development states, “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In simplest terms, sustainability is about our children and our grandchildren and the world which we will leave them.
For over 40 years, I have supported many organisations to help the environment, wildlife, and the arts including the following: Audubon Society, Georgia Birds, Georgia Ornithological Society, Georgia Wildlife, Georgia Conservancy, American Bird Conservancy, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic Society, Wilderness Society, Arbor Day Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, World Wide Fund for Nature, The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, World Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Rainforest Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, NatureWorks, The Waterfowl Festival, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Thomasville Center for The Arts, Georgian Artists for Art (Georgia National Fair), South Cobb Arts Alliance, Cobb Arts League, High Museum of Art, Fernbank Museum, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Zoo Atlanta, and The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
