Artist Statement
I create art as a way for myself to explore and interpret the world around me. I am most interested in the world around us in respect to the environment and what we do to affect it. Since I was I child I have been fascinated with the vast depths of the ocean and the mystery still surrounding it. I apply this same sense of wonderment to the lense I view the rest of the world in. I attempt to use humor and absurdity when possible.
A main medium I focus on is the use of glass. As a young child I was introduced to other people working with hot glass techniques that inspired me to become an artist. However, I have recently begun to try and work in more sustainable ways using recycled bottle glass, recycling paper, and plastic waste.
I am currently exploring how we affect the world around us through exploration of recycled materials. I have begun using recycled materials such as recycled paper, the use of plastic waste, and glass bottles. This work stemmed originally from my love of sea life and discoveries of how our waste negatively impact them. Currently I’ve been challenging myself to create work that will have less of a negative impact on the world around me while bringing to light some of these issues.
About the Artist
Stephen Chapman is an artist from New Jersey who currently resides in brisk Alfred NY. In 2014, he received his AFA in Glass: Applied Craft and Design from Salem Community College. He is currently attending Alfred University's Sculpture and Dimensional Studies program and is on track to graduate in the Spring of 2017. He has a love of fish and other aquatic animals that borders on an obsession and is only topped by his love of creating with glass.