AP Artist Spotlight: Christopher Hess

From an early age, I have always enjoyed art, and I am truly grateful that I decided to pursue sculpture in high school. I did not do visual art in middle school, so the transition to sculpture brought me joy and peace of mind. Sculpture allows my imagination to run free while also exposing me to a wide variety of mediums for my work. Sculpture also helps me think better about a wide variety of subjects. I have learned valuable skills such as patience and perseverance through sculpture, especially when a project turned out to be more difficult than expected.

ESD

For my AP Sculpture Sustained Investigation, I decided to focus on the subject of water. Water is a very powerful force that, in many cultures, has healing elements. Everyone needs water to live, and though humanity has its conflicts, we all share the desire for water. Whether it is for drinking, recreation, or industry, without water, we would not be here. I did not stick to one medium, but I found that many of my pieces revolved around plaster which ironically requires water to create. I chose water because I feel I have a strong connection to it. Not only have I rowed competitively on a wide variety of bodies of water, but I greatly enjoy snorkeling and being alone with only one's thoughts and the sea.

I would like to thank my family and the friends I have made through my sculpture experience. They have encouraged me to attempt difficult projects and supported me throughout them. While I am uncertain yet whether or not I will continue sculpture in the form of architecture in college, I am thankful for the time I had as a sculpture student at ESD and I know I always have an excellent hobby at my fingertips that inspires me to create and use my imagination.

Christopher’s work exhibits a strong dedication to craft, coupled with global concerns. Through carefully rendered portraits of individual fish species, and symbolic, almost magical, representations of the ocean, he ties us back to the Ocean Mother from which all life arises.

Dane Larsen, AP Sculpture Teacher

A City in 2238

Starting off we have a 3D-printed cube that has had mass removed through the software system Sketchup. I really had no plan when creating this but the final product reminds me of a city in the future. The semi-circle hole could be a space port that leads down to a trench with a skyscraper in it. Since no one knows what the future holds, I imagined a very dense city where people practically lived on top of each other.

Plaster Form (Green and White)

Next we have my Green and White Plaster Form, which was created by making a mold out of cardboard, and sealing all but one end off. Then, plaster was poured at different segments of time, as shown by the striations of white, green and black. The piece was then removed from the mold and sanded to remove some imperfections.

This piece reminds me of an iceberg, although the coloring is much more abstract than what occurs in nature. My favorite part about this piece is the splash of green in the black that occurred when the green plaster hardened to the mold before I poured the black plaster! I think it makes the piece appear very fluid.

Knot Your Average Piece

This was a joy to construct because seemingly everyday I thought of something different I could add on to the piece. While I knew I wanted to start orderly and then transition to organized chaos, I didn’t have a precise plan and let the copper pipe direct me in the motion that appeared the best. I enjoy how this piece can be viewed from multiple angles and also how the miracle grow and the iron water I put on the copper initially to create colors has matured and appears aged.

The Reef (1)

This has taken a great deal of time and effort, and the plaster coral originally started out as some alien plant before the pandemic hit, but for the last six months I have worked diligently solely on this project. I carved and sawed the wooden fish before sanding them and using a woodburning tool for accents and in some cases scales. Then, all thirty fish were painted in order to look like the intended species. The coral was a mesh armature with cloth and plaster over it, and the most difficult part about painting this was all of the small holes.

My inspiration for this piece was my saltwater reef tank at home as well as my love for snorkeling. While I haven’t kept all of the fish in this piece, the ones I chose are some of my favorites in regards to personal memories, color, and shape. I was inspired by two artists as well for this piece, Chris Burden, famously known for his hanging submarines, and David Bates, whose folksy art was inspiration for the way the fish are shaped and painted,