Untitled

Prop of a Beachfire (2009) Installation view from the exhibition OFF CUTS, Capilano University Studio Art Gallery 2009. Materials: Electric light fixture, steel, sand, plywood, beach-salvaged planks.

Dimensions: variable, Fire/sand area approximately 36”x 36” x 14”

The sculptures Rolling Convertible #1 and #2  play with the ideas of function and purpose in utilitarian design. I set a few parameters for myself at the outset then improvised the constructions with materials at hand — fir and cedar 4x4’s, new and found casters, lag screws and clamps. As the title ‘Rolling Convertible’ indicates, the work must roll and it must do so in any orientation or position. These sculptures are made to be physically manipulated by the viewer. No element of the work is ornamental. The clamps in Rolling Convertible #1 hold the beams together and give the form its structural integrity, while the caster wheels in both sculptures are placed wherever necessary to support the beams and ensure contact with the floor sufficient for stability.

  At once analytical and humorous, these works present a sculptural counterpoint to the calculated outcomes of design-thinking and banal functionalism.  

  Christopher Donnelly lives and works in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He holds Degrees from the University of British Columbia and Emily Carr University. From 2008-10 he was a member of the Capilano University Art Institute.    Christopher’s work is founded on the relationship between drawing and the constructed object. Architectural elements combine with various formal and conceptual sources such as theatrical props, industrial foundry patterns, the graphic conventions of technical drawing, and ideas relating to scaffolding, support, and the physics of structures.      The artist uses materials that are readily purchased at hardware stores, salvaged from beaches and building demolition sites, or prised from the greedy clutches of hoarders. The attention to craft and detail in his work reflects a principled approach to the aesthetic, poetic potential of everyday materials.

  Christopher Donnelly lives and works in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He holds Degrees from the University of British Columbia and Emily Carr University. From 2008-10 he was a member of the Capilano University Art Institute. 

  Christopher’s work is founded on the relationship between drawing and the constructed object. Architectural elements combine with various formal and conceptual sources such as theatrical props, industrial foundry patterns, the graphic conventions of technical drawing, and ideas relating to scaffolding, support, and the physics of structures.  

   The artist uses materials that are readily purchased at hardware stores, salvaged from beaches and building demolition sites, or prised from the greedy clutches of hoarders. The attention to craft and detail in his work reflects a principled approach to the aesthetic, poetic potential of everyday materials.