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Home > Artists > Chris Spollen

Chris Spollen

Born: August 12, 1952

Chris Spollen

Biography

Chris Spollen’s artistic journey began in grade school, where his non-stop drawing of rocket ships and space men was called “day-dreaming” by the nuns. He went on to attend the High School of Art and Design and then Parsons School of Design, both in New York City. As a student at Parsons in the 1970’s, Chris credits his teacher, the late Murray Tinkelman —an illustrator and well-respected educator— as being a primary inspiration and mentor. Chris also names Naiad and Walter Einsel, and Gene Hoffman as other early influences. Chris explained, "Going way back I can clearly remember viewing the dimensional illustrations exhibitions at the Society of Illustrators in New York City. I was in awe. Looking at these free-standing pieces of three-dimensional art, I wondered how they were made and what sort of hand work, tools and materials had gone into creating them."

Over the past forty years, Spollen has developed into an award-winning illustrator, his art has evolved from work with traditional materials on paper, to printmaking, to his current love for creating evocative digital mixed media projects that reflect his love for the sea, flying machines, robots, “steam punk” culture and the tin toys of an earlier era. His client list is a broad spectrum of nationally known publications such as Boy’s Life, McGraw Hill, and Penthouse. He is regularly featured in illustration industry annuals such as Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, Society of Illustration Annuals, and self-published collections such as Aprodisia One, Two.

Spollen is is also an adjunct Associate Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City where he urges students to work with their hands and their hearts as well as with their computers. He says, "(I) feel privileged to help to stimulate and motivate students. It is a pure joy to be working with the unbridled, passionate young creatives of the next generation. What a wonderful and magical time it is to be making art."

The artist lives with his wife and son on Staten Island, at the entrance to New York harbor. He takes slow, quiet walks on the beach, which often lead to the discovery of materials for his work—treasures from the sea—which might take their places among the many other objects that will be repurposed for use in his imaginative three-dimensional creations.

Visit artist's website

Illustrations by Chris Spollen

Additional Resources

  • Mechanical Flight
  • Fanastical Flying Machines
  • Weapons of Mass Imaginations
  • Beach Imaginations

Bibliography

Spollen, Chris and Avi Gvili. The Art of Recycling: Reinventing and Transforming Found and Discarded Materials into Art. New York: Boulevard Books, August 25, 2015.

Genres
  • Advertising
    • Corporate
    • Political and Public Service
    • Product
    • Self-Promotion
  • Books
    • Children’s Books
    • Cover Art
    • Interior Illustration
  • Cartooning
    • Advertising
    • Caricature
    • Political and Editorial
    • Sports
    • Spot
  • Comics
    • Comic Books
      • Manga
    • Comic Strips
  • Decorative & Applied Illustration
    • Info Graphics
    • Murals
    • Portraiture
  • Fantasy
    • Adventure
    • Fairy Tales and Fables
    • Mythology
  • Fashion
    • Advertising
    • Design
  • Graphic Novels
    • Fiction
    • Non-Fiction
    • Visual Memoir and Autobiography
  • Internet Illustration
    • Web Comics
    • Website Illustration
  • Magazine
    • Cover Art
    • Story Illustration
  • Moving Image
    • Animation
    • Concept Art
    • Storyboard
    • Video Game Design
  • Newspaper
  • Non-Commissioned Work
  • Poster
    • Event (Promotional)
    • Film
    • Political
    • Propaganda
    • Travel
  • Product Illustration
    • Album/CD
    • Calendars
    • DVD/VHS/Videogame
    • Greeting Cards
    • Packaging
    • Paper Dolls
    • Postage Stamps
  • Pulp Illustration
    • Pinup Art
    • Pulp Magazines
  • Science Fiction
    • Creatures
    • Outer Space
    • Technology
  • Technical
    • Anatomy
    • Archaeological
    • Architecture
    • Courtroom Drawings
    • Horticulture
    • Mechanical
    • Natural History
Global Perspectives
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia
RELATED ARTISTS
  • Murray Tinkelman Murray Tinkelman
Related Time Periods
  • The Decade 1970-1980 The Decade 1970-1980
  • The Decade 1980-1990 The Decade 1980-1990
  • The Decade 1990-2000 The Decade 1990-2000
  • The Decade 2000-2010 The Decade 2000-2010
  • The Decade 2010-2020 The Decade 2010-2020

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Art Works. National Endowment for the Arts. arts.gov

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"The great band of illustrators have shown us to ourselves and I am proud to be among their company."
- Norman Rockwell

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