Our studio art professor talks about his upcoming show by Eitan Negri
Most City College professors are adept in their fields--but many are also far more active outside of the classroom than students expect. Colin Chase, a professor of studio art, is one of CCNY's most prolific instructors.Chase is a well-respected sculptor, who has had 12 solo exhibitions and 60 selected group exhibitions all over the country. And he's not slowing down. On October 5, he will once again display his work in his 72nd exhibition, a show he calls Contronym. What’s behind the unique title of the exhibit? “I use contronyms, words with two opposite meanings,” he says, “It’s like looking into the future and the past at the same time.”This theme of opposites came to him from his love of language. “Linguistic paradox is my muse and point of departure for this body of sculpture,” says Chase. “Even in our own language we speak, there is still mystery.”Chase uses wood and other reclaimed materials to create composite sculptures. To him, “the work reverberates, as old and new, seasoned and raw, cadenced and offbeat.” He likes working with these found materials because it’s like “bringing history to the sculpture from old pieces.”He keeps it simple. “I wanted it to look like anyone can make it," he explains. "But they didn’t, I did.”Contronym runs October 5 - November 6, 2012 at the June Kelly Gallery in Soho.