Chris Coffin explores life near, on and in water. Embarking on a project that would grow to span sculpture, performance and photographic series, Coffin began his latest groups of works with support from the Newport, Rhode Island community. He collected 100 buoys from the Atlantic Ocean that were painted, detailed and actively used by local lobster fisherman. Then Coffin set off to create.
After fastening together the buoys on a 300 ft line, Coffin led the way back into familiar waters. Strapping the strand of buoys to his body, Coffin swam and towed the line behind him through the vast blue canvas of the ocean. The performance is equal measures an artist poetically drawing in the medium he loves and conceptually a feat of remarkable endurance as an artist.
Buoys positioned by lobster fisherman to float over traps have markings, coloring and physical features that identify them, even from afar. Chris Coffin captures the character of a buoy's life at sea up close in his new series of photographs, 'Buoy Portraits'. Coffin shoots each buoy with adept gentleness and sincerity which allows the scratches, rugged edges, faded colors, scars and personality of each facade to narrate without reservation their own story.
Coffin continues his fascination with meteorology, technology and its connection to surfing while personally interacting with the ocean’s currents. Recently while Tropical Storm Hanna passed off the coast of New York Coffin entered the water for two reasons: to surf its swells, and to gather information on swell directions and wave heights which he would turn into a site specific drawing on the walls of Dam Stuhltrager Gallery. His personal encounter with the storm, coupled with his interest in technology and simple linear wave prediction models provide the inspiration for his new drawing |
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