Bio:
Chris Wooten is a mixed-media artist who lives and works in Browns Point, WA.
She creates figurative pieces using a sculptural woven wire technique. Inspired by nature and the environment, her artwork is also informed by studying cultures, past and present, who live in close relationship with nature. The rituals, observations and interpretations that come from this connection provide endless fascination and inspiration for her art.
Chris is a lifelong experimenter and her curiosity has led her to many different art mediums and processes, including mixed media fabrications, sculptural fiber, printmaking, theatrical costuming and mask-making. She received her fine arts education from the University of Washington and the University of Illinois, studying painting and printmaking.
Artist Statement:
My artwork emerges from a personal mythology with narratives about connection and integration with nature. We are an integral part of nature, not superior to or separate from it. I believe we are all connected to and in equal relationship to each other and all other elements of the natural world. As we use up/ lose the natural environment I believe we lose our sense of place in the world. Reconnection, growth, regeneration and relationship to nature are common themes in my work.
Working in sculptural woven wire, I use different types of wire in my work. Cast-off steel tie-wire or plastic-coated wire are repurposed into the art. Jewelry wire, beads, glass and crystal also find their way into my work providing color and sparkle. The figurative pieces are three dimensional and take shape in my hands as I work. The finished artworks change with the light and convey motion, transparency and shifting realities.
Some of my pieces invoke the magic of a special place, person or animal. Others pieces are meant to share an insight or a particular emotion.
It is constantly challenging to create a wire piece that conveys spirit and emotion, and it’s rewarding when the intention is captured successfully.
