Canoe Wave
Lewiston ID
Barnyard Promenade
Fort Worth TX
Wagon Sprouts
El Paso TX
Hoops Playing Hoops
Raleigh NC
Industrial Pipe Wave
Scottsdale AZ

About the Artist

“Sculpture is a visual language. Using recycled materials is not only a powerful image about our choices, but also connects the audience to the artwork through their own personal experiences with those materials.”

Artist Christopher Fennell builds structural skeletons from discarded or found objects. The materials he chooses have been cast out or devalued by society and so his selections are based on the kind of message or impact each piece should convey. This is how a demolished barn can become a wave, broken bicycles transform into a tornado, and downed trees can be given a second life as a pillar of fire.

Chris’s creative inspiration comes from two places: engineering and art. His background in engineering provides a singular understanding of how the materials can be formed, shaped and connected into a structure. His vision as an artist and his sense of humor bring the parts together in a form that is not only pleasing, but often thought-provoking and dynamic, challenging the viewer to look past the recognizable shape to see how everything is connected.

Many of Chris’s pieces encourage people to participate, to place themselves inside or to pass underneath and through, seeing the form from several angles. Each piece is site-specific, taking advantage of the surrounding landscape and architecture and often incorporating regional or cultural hallmarks. The placement of every piece of sculpture is carefully selected for the maximum effect of discovery and scale.

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Awards and Honorariums

  • Industrial Pipe Wave, Best Permanent Public Art, Best of Phoenix, Phoenix New Times, Phoenix, AZ, 2022
  • Board Caterpillar, Second Place in Out of the Box, Juried, Auburn, AL, 2019
  • Skate Leaves, Sculpture Garden, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Mongomery, AL 2018
  • Artist's Fire, Center Installation for Magic City Arts Festival, Birmingham, AL, 2009
  • Sculpted Green, Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition 2008, Outdoor Installation, Bellevue, WA 2008
  • Honorable Mention, National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, North Charleston, SC 2008
  • Barn Pinecone, Brock Commons Outdoor Sculpture, Juried, Longwood University, Farmville, VA 2008
  • Sculpture on Sample, Juried, Outdoor Installation, Coral Springs, FL 2007
  • You, Me and the Bus, Juried, Bus Stop Bus Shelter, Athens, GA 2007
  • The Sculpture Park at City Hall, Juried, Outdoor Map, Redding, CA 2007
  • Uptown Sculpture Walk, Juried, Paddle Wave, Outdoor Installation, Columbus, GA 2007
  • 20th Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Juried, Tree Arch, Outdoor Installation, Lawrence, KS, 2007
  • Grand Esplanade Award, Sculpture Key West 2007, Fort Zachary, Key West, FL, 2007
  • People’s Choice Award, 2nd Annual Public Art Exhibition, Foundation Art Center, St. Charles, MO, 2006
  • Second Bi-Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Juried, Outdoor Installation, Chattanooga, TN, 2006
  • Second Place, Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition, Juried Exhibition, Winter Haven, FL, 2006
  • Best of Show, ArtInPlace, Juried Exhibition, Outdoor Installation, Charlottesville, VA, 2005
  • The Lot, Juried Exhibition, Tree Dome, Outdoor Installation, New Haven, CT, 2005
  • Turchin Art Center Outdoor Sculpture, Juried Exhibition, Board Caterpillar, Boone, NC, 2005
  • Best of Show, The Sculpture Salmagundi 9, Indoor and Outdoor Juried Exhibition, Rocky Mount, NC 2005
  • Outward Westward Exhibition, Tree Wave, Outdoor Installation, Riverton, WY, 2005
  • Sculpture Salmagundi VII, Juried Exhibition, Bow Wave, Outdoor Installation, Rocky Mount, NC, 2003
  • Start Up Grant, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, Inc., New York, NY, 2002
  • Outstanding Student Achievement In Contemporary Sculpture, International Sculpture Center, 2002
  • Research Grant, Bicycle Tornado, Outdoor Installation Ramsey Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 2001
  • Patent Design Award, Motorola, Boynton Beach, FL, 1991
  • Design Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1989

Publications

  • Southwest The Magazine, "Your adventure in Scottsdale", Ben Marshall, pgs 59-66, Pace, January 2016
  • AAA, New Mexico Journey, "Art for All", Ashley M. Biggers, pgs 18-21, Tamara Hill, May/June 2015
  • UC Davis Magazine, "The Big Picture", Gregory Urquiaga, pgs 22-23, Volume 31, Number 2, Spring 2014
  • Landscape Installation Art, Book, Bus Stop and Skate Benches, pgs 206-209, Ifengspace, 2012
  • AIT, German Architecture Magazine, "Detail - Bus stop shelter from Christopher Fennell", pg 145, May 2011
  • Iddeco, Tunesian Art Magazine, "Design avec objects recycles." pg 25, April 2011
  • Blue Ridge Outdoors, "Green Heroes", Jedd Ferris, July, 2007
  • New York Times, "In, Under and Around", Ben Genocchio, Section 14, January 22, 2006
  • Rocky Mount Telegram, "Sculpture Event", Fred Marion, b1 July 21, 2005
  • Austin American Statesman, "Turning Two Pest Into Art", Clair Osborn, b1 June 20, 2005
  • Sculpture Magazine, vol 21 no 8, October 2002

Movie Appearances

  • Canoe Wave in "The River Thief", 40:14 minutes into film, N.D. Wilson, 2016
  • Canoe Wave in "DamNation", Travis Rummel and Ben Knight, 2014

Education

  • MFA, Sculpture, University of Georgia, 2002
  • BA, Sculpture, University of South Florida, 1993
  • BSME, Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, 1989


Artwork Installations



Wing Sprouts

Wing Sprouts
Outdoor Installation
airplane wings
Clipper Drive
College Park GA
2022

Barnyard Promenade

Barnyard Promenade
12 Outdoor Installations
local salvage
North Beach Corridor
Fort Worth TX
2022

Osprey Sails

Osprey Sails
Outdoor Installation
patrons' pram sails
Wall Springs Park
Palm Harbor FL
2020

Grate Fish

Grate Fish
Outdoor Installation
salvaged sifting grates for benches
Wall Springs Park
Palm Harbor FL
2018

Skate Leaves

Skate Leaves
Outdoor Installation
aluminum skate boards
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery AL
2018

Wagon Sprouts

Wagon Sprouts
Outdoor Installation
72 little red wagons as leaves for 3 bean sprouts
El Paso TX
2017

Bike Train

Bike Train
Outdoor Installation
32 used bicycles in a 30’ tall tornado of steel pipe
Aurora CO
2017

Light Tree

Light Tree
Outdoor Installation
60 street lights in the canopy of a 26’ tall tree of pipe
Huntsville AL
2016

Window Tree

Window Tree
Outdoor Installation
32 recycled car windows into bus stop shelter tree
Creve Coeur MO
2016

Industrial Pipe Wave

Industrial Pipe Wave
Outdoor Installation
4000' of salvaged fire sprinkler pipe
Scottsdale AZ
2015

Hoops Playing Hoops

Hoops Playing Hoops
Outdoor Installation
steel pipe
backboards and patrons’ basketballs
Raleigh NC
2014

Boat Fish

Boat Fish
Outdoor Installation
fish-inspired bus stop shelter from 4 used alum boats
Sarasota FL
2014

Tool Fire

Tool Fire
Outdoor Installation
used hand tools in monument to volunteers following 2010 flood
Nashville TN
2013

Fish Benches

Fish Benches
Outdoor Installation
salvaged truck frames and pipe
Saint Petersburg FL
2013

Steel Guitar

Steel Guitar
Outdoor Installation
used truck frames
where Elvis played first concert in Memphis TN
2012

Skate Trees

Skate Trees
Outdoor Installation
used skate boards into benches and trees
Norfolk VA
2012

Rail Ladder Fire

Rail Ladder Fire
Outdoor Installation
used train rails and decommissioned fire ladders
Allen TX
2011

Osprey Sunscreen

Osprey Sunscreen
Outdoor Installation with Fish Benches
Wall Springs Park
Palm Harbor FL
2011

Canoe Wave

Canoe Wave
Lewis and Clark Monument
used aluminum canoes
Lewiston ID
2011

Ladder Fire

Ladder Fire
Outdoor Installation
decommissioned fire ladders
Fire Station #48
Clearwater FL
2011

Tree Tornado

Tree Tornado
Indoor Installation
scrap from wood milling process
Space 301
Mobile AL
2010

Bats Baseball

Bats Baseball
Outdoor Installation
800 used aluminum bats
Southside Park
Atlanta GA
2009

Lawn Mower Leaves

Lawn Mower Leaves
Outdoor Installation
600 used blades
University of Maine at Farmington ME
2009

Barn Devil

Barn Devil
Bell's Art Entrance Installation
Scottsdale AZ
2009

Magic City

Magic City
(Artists' Fire)
Center Installation for Magic City Arts Festival
Birmingham AL
2009

Tulsa Hurricane

Tulsa Hurricane
Outdoor Installation
University of Tulsa
Tulsa OK
2009

Rafter Trapeze

Rafter Trapeze
Public Art Installation
Robert’s Recreation Center
St. Peterseburg FL
2008

Stacking Order

Stacking Order
Collaboration with Christine Lee
Indoor Installation
University Arkansas
Little Rock AR
2008

Boston Tea Cup

Boston Tea Cup
Outdoor Installation
Needham MA
2008

Bus Stop

Bus Stop
Outdoor Installation
Athens GA
2007

Tree Passage

Tree Passage
Outdoor Installation
Messiah College
Grantham PA
2007

Wedding Sculpture

Wedding Sculpture
Outdoor Installation
St. Mary’s
Sewanee TN
2007

Driftwood Wave

Driftwood Wave
Outdoor Installation
The Figge Museum
Davenport IA
2007

Tree Doorways

Tree Doorways
Outdoor Installation Chattanooga State College
Chattanooga TN
2007

Tree Chair

Tree Chair
ArtInPlace
Juried Exhibition
Outdoor Installation
Charlottesville VA
2006

Dock Fish

Dock Fish
Outdoor Installation
St. Andrews
Sewanee TN
2006

Burning Chair

Burning Chair
Outdoor Installation
Lowery Gallery
Danielsville GA
2006

Cedar Moth

Cedar Moth
Outdoor Installation
Green Wave Exhibition
Austin TX
2005

Falling Church

Falling Church
Workshop/Outdoor Installation
Young Harris GA
2005

Maple Sail

Maple Sail
Outdoor Installation
Private Collection
Woodstock VT
2005

House Flower

House Flower
West Arlington Ecopark
Outdoor Installation
Birmingham AL
2004

Roof Well

Roof Well
Interior Installation
Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant Exhibition
Installation Cue Art Foundation
New York NY
2004

Fireball

Fireball
Performance/Outdoor Installation
Red Mesa CO
2004

Dock Wave

Dock Wave
Outdoor Installation
Visual Arts Building
University of South Florida
Tampa FL
2003

Board Caterpillar

Board Caterpillar
Indoor Installation
Albuquerque Contemporary Juried Exhibition
Albuquerque NM
2003

Sky Boat

Sky Boat
Outdoor Installation
Lowery Gallery
Danielsville GA
2002

Barn Mother

Barn Mother
Outdoor Installation
Conner Hall
University of Georgia
Athens GA
2002

Baboon Walking Trees

Baboon Walking Trees
Earthworks Installation
North Carolina Zoological Park
Asheboro NC
2002

Tree Roof

Tree Roof
Indoor Installation
MFA Show
Georgia Museum
Athens GA
2002

Tree House

Tree House
Outdoor Installation
Lamar Dodd School of Art
University of Georgia
Athens GA 2001

Barn Wave

Barn Wave
Outdoor Installation
Lamar Dodd School of Art
University of Georgia
Athens GA 2000

Christopher Fennell
Sculptor
Birmingham, Alabama