Interview
Christopher Cose
Born in 1984 in Tracy California, Christopher grew up riding BMX bikes and spending summers in the Colorado Mountains. He worked as a house painter, handyman and Union Carpenter until he got into a car accident that hurt his neck. Then, Christopher started to work with leather, led, epoxy resin, and digital art and 3-D animation.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather was not related to me by blood. He treated me like a son and taught me many valuable lessons in life. One day, I came home and had the greatest last conversation anyone could ever have with someone and then he had a heart attack and died in my arms. About one year later in the same house, my little brother took his own life. These events showed me that life can be very had and seem like there is no way out of your current situation or struggle. The pain from this and other events in my life that were very difficult to go on afterward is where I get all of my artistic power from. Turning that pain that I felt/feel into a new beautiful sight or feeling for someone else to experience is what helps me to make sense of this sometimes senseless world.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work is usually a reflection of my current life; someone who inspired me to do better because of their life story, anything that I see around that makes me feel a high level of emotion. I try not to get stuck into one style, I usually get bored of that fast and look for other routes to take to express myself in new ways and medium’s frequently.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“Some work is highly planned out and blueprinted, others I just get an idea or see some kind of vision in my day dreams that I would like to bring to life.”
“My work is usually a reflection of my current life; someone who inspired me to do better because of their life story, anything that I see around that makes me feel a high level of emotion.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“Currently, I am obsessed with epoxy resin, led, and leather. I would say that some of my latest 3-D animation could be said to be following a camera tracking trend in which you add animations and effects into real life footage of real events to really make people question what they are seeing to be real or fantasy.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“Some of my work, I just see things I really like out in the world and gather them up and they sit for a bit doing nothing. When I finally get enough of these random things that caught my eye, somehow my brain says eureka! and I figure out a way to combine everything all together into one piece. I use LED lights, leather, Cricut machine, epoxy resin, wood working with exotic species, digital as far as Photoshop and videos with Adobe After Effects, 3-D animations that I use Maya, Cinema 4d, drones, anything else that catches my eye that I can throw in there.”
What does your art mean to you?
“It means everything to me. It’s a way to get things organized in the sense of the way that the world can sometimes get you into a hurry whether you realize it or not. When I put things together whether it be from a planned out decision or just freestyling a vision I received, it helps to put life into a perspective and helps me to enjoy the little things again.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“My favorite piece is ‘Darlene.’ I made it for my grandmother who really helped to show me how to have a big heart and to help others. My grandmother always loved nice things, she was very particular and picky. So, my thought was that I wanted to make a shrine type piece that would show one of her most beautiful moments in life in the center piece. I used the picture frame to showcase a Photoshop composite that was about her life and good times to tell the whole story of the person. I placed white lace around the entire thing to simulate the fuzzy dice that use to be hanging from her rear view mirror. I placed a hand sewn leather purse on the bottom with her name Darlene that glows with LED lights. The face of the purse is in a wonder woman print because she did everything and didn’t complain about it. She always had her purse with her so I had to include that. I ended up finishing the piece just a month before she passed away from complications that arose from Dementia. Even know she couldn’t acknowledge it, I was very proud to be able to show her while she was still alive and sit with her and hold her.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Last year, at Modesto Junion College’s 47th annual Celebration of the Humanities Art competition. I was able to take 1st place with the Darlene piece. I had an honorable mention with The Road to Color digital art piece. This was my first and only art show submission to date.”
Instagram: @_the_west_cose_
