CHRIS TURRI

Chris Turri’s early years were spent as a silversmith, tradesman, and avid explorer of the land and culture in the great Southwest. For the last two decades, Chris has been fabricating sculpture from new and reclaimed metals and developing his “special sauces” to create unique patinas on copper and steel. Transforming the “skins” of old vehicles from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, Chris uncovers the elements in the metal that tell stories from another time and bring a richness and deeper character to the work. In more recent years, Chris has blended metal and patinas with reclaimed fabrics and released a new collection of work he calls “Patina on Cloth” painting.

Throughout his life, Chris has scoured the desert for the memories of those who lived before. Native cultures hold a special place for him, so he gratefully borrows some of the iconic imagery of indigenous peoples and blends them with universal symbols and materials of a more recent time. Chris’ abstractly figurative sculptures are a contemporary expression of the harmony in diversity.

Chris has the following to say about his practice: “In my art, I strive to share my love of native culture, the rich character of old and new, and stories of a diverse world in harmony rather than strife. I started collecting “junk” many years ago, just cleaning up what others left behind, and the began repurposing it and creating my art as well as building my art studio, various green houses and retaining walls. Having started as a silversmith, the transition to reclaimed metal was natural and provided me a skill in finished work that is transformative.