Christopher Trotter – Sculpture, works on paper, photography

19-20 May, 2012

Christopher Trotter

Studio:
Artist in residence Marks & Gardner Gallery
69 Main Western Rd,
North Tamborine

0409 897 602
chris@trotter.com.au

What you’ll see:
One man’s junk is another man’s artwork. Christopher transforms tired machinery parts, rundown trucks, discarded aeroplanes and abandoned plumbing pipes into visual creations so real they could live and breathe. Think Dr Seuss and you’ll have some idea of what Christopher does. His work is highly sought-after and can be seen in prominent public places up and down Queensland’s east coast. He works from a studio in Boonah and makes weekly trips to his local scrap metal yard in search of key tools for his craft. You’re likely to meet a quirky range of Christopher’s favourite characters – chooks, scorpions, a beached whale and many more.

It’s not every day you meet an artist whose toolkit features a MIG welder, an angle grinder and a serious pair of ear muffs. But these are essential tools in trade for Boonah-based sculptor Christopher Trotter.
He’s the man behind some of Queensland’s most recognisable public art pieces and he makes his living transforming scrap metal and discarded machines into life-like art installations. His kangaroos currently stand in front of the Australian Pavilion at the World Expo in China. He created a Seahorse Fossil which can be seen at Tannum Sands and his Fish Fossil sits at the bottom of the Kangaroo Point cliffs in Brisbane.
Christopher started his professional life as an aspiring architect but found it lacked the creative scope he sought. He quit his university course two years in, telling his concerned parents he planned to be an artist.

TWEAKING MACHINES

He had always been fascinated by machinery and loved nothing better than ‘tweaking’ his favourite machines to give them a competitive edge.
“My folks thought, ‘How’s he going to make money out of welding scrap metal together?” says Christopher.
“My dad taught me to weld when I was young because I’d showed a fascination. I proceeded to cut up my BMX and make it a lot better – I extended the forks so I could do wheelies easier.”
“It was crazy but I’ve always been able to look at things in a different way.”
It was a sign of things to come. Christopher likens his art creations to the images depicted in the works of Dr Seuss. Crazy, madcap characters with zany extensions, zingy attachments and wacky movements.
To you and me it may look like an old plumbing attachment or a clapped out truck, but to Christopher it’s a potential masterpiece.

His scenic property is scattered with future art pieces, waiting for him to work his magic.
Along the fence there’s a line of structural and imposing jettisonable aircraft fuel tanks, a relic of WW2. A 1963 J1 Bedford Truck has been given a makeover which the original creators could never have imagined. In the far paddock an old aircraft body is waiting for Christopher to give it new life.
He’s sponsored by Sims Metal at Rocklea, which means he’s allowed to trawl through their yard each week and claim anything
he sees potential in.

NEW LIFE

“When I’m commissioned to do an artwork I’m given a brief in terms of the history of the area, what’s happened and my job is to come up with a concept that’s relevant to the community,”  he says.
“I don’t like doing commissions where I’m told what to do; I like to come up with an idea myself.”
“For me it’s the opportunity to give things a new life and personality, a sense of living energy.”
“I keep the steel’s integrity and I make it work harder.”

Christopher moved to the Scenic Rim from Brisbane late last year. Not only does he enjoy being based in the close-knit arts community, but he says the open vistas provide the perfect backdrop to display his work. As for his inspiration, it comes from anywhere at any time.
“Sometimes I find myself driven towards certain objects which inspire me,” he says.
“I might be walking one way and see something else which makes my brain tick. At the moment I try to include an element of sound into my artwork. When you crank an old engine it might whistle.”

INSPIRATION

He’s working on an installation which features a roost of chooks, crafted from the innards of a concrete mixer. When the handle is turned the elements spin and the turning wheel sounds like a group of chooks clucking to each other.

“The interaction of objects with nature, man and time, are of particular interest,” he says.
“I am inspired by water –its form, its power, and above all its ability to create new growth. In numerous current artworks, water is transposed into industrial organic forms -bending and flowing across space.”
“My work is a culmination of my observations and life experiences . I understand and relate to the materials I use, their dynamics, and the life and energy still within them. Every object I choose to use takes on a new role- one that helps create a work with life, movement , integrity and balance.”
“The element of recycling in my work is important to me and helps promote the concept of creative solutions to future generations.”
www.trotter.com.au