Perpetual Motion
written by Nate Sheldon
Many artists work in found materials, but you'd be hard pressed to find one who uses them as ingeniously as Chris Cole. Using bike parts, he pieces together works that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional.
"I like blending the mechanical world with the natural world," Cole says. "Getting the motion to mimic the real creature as close as possible."
His sculptures range from natural subjects (condors and salmon, for example) to bizarre ones (a scorpion dog, and even less-representative abstract works). All are welded together, geared and ready to spring into action with the flick of a switch or turn of a crank. Mesmerizing and whimsical, they all move like strange, re-imagined grandfather clocks.
Cole's fascination with the physics, gravity and motion of kinetic art came from working with the materials in a more utilitarian capacity.
"I've been a bike mechanic for a long time," says Cole, a 37-year-old Bend resident.
Through the years he spent repairing bikes and accumulating spare parts, Cole began to look upon the extra gears, chains and cranks as more than just worn out parts. He began piecing them together 15 years ago, and has spent the time since perfecting his art.
"Originally, I started making basic sculptures that moved," said Cole. He bolted pieces together before learning to weld, then started using a plasma cutter to shape the bodies of his kinetic sculptures.
In the eight years since he's lived in Bend, Cole's art has featured prominently in the community. In 2006, Cole was commissiaoned to design the trophy for Bend's Cascade Cycling Classic.
Cole does his sculpting and metalworking in his garage - a space he says is cramped, but works.
Currently Cole is working on a 4-foot tall moving penguin commissioned by Polar Cruises, an arctic cruise-booking site. The proceeds go to penguin research.
Cole's art isn't limited to sculpture. He has a selection of abstract paintings reminiscent of Salvador Dali, and his sketches of project ideas are impressive in their own right. Cole even uses his skills in sculpture and metalworking to create furniture.
"The more I can do, the happier I am," he says.
As for upcoming shows, some of Cole's paintings are set for display in Visage, a space in Portland's Pearl District. On this side of the Cascades, a selection of Cole's sculptures shows in Timberline Construction's new building at 1655 NE Lytle St. in Bend from oct 25 through Nov. 30.
Images of Chris Cole's sculptures, paintings, sketches and furniture are online at www.chriscoledesigns.com.
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