Art on the Rim, Chris Cummings - El Paso Community Foundation | Grants, Scholarships, and Philanthropy Services

Walking Crab

Steel

90”x 36” x 20”

2023

As an outsider artist, Mr. Cummings draws inspiration from Marcel Duchamp, David Smith, Martin Puryear, and Jeff Koons among many others. As someone who has appreciated and bought art most of his life, he never thought of creating it himself until just a few years ago. His work points to specific references and meanings including allusion, sarcasm, sardonic irreverence and overt nihilism.

Every sculpture Mr. Cummings has created is located in Bent, New Mexico on a 71-acre sculpture ranch he began building in 2004. His goal was to create 100 sculptures and then work to perfect each one over time. He has a few other regional artists represented in his collection (including New Mexico sculptors Ray Parish and Doug Gray), but the landscape is dominated by his 150 sculptures (as of August, 2023).

Mr. Cummings’ work consists of found object assemblage, fabricated steel sculptures, and mixed media. Several pieces are monumental in scale. His bold use of color (objects in pink, purple, red and yellow auto paint) is often contrasted with rusted counterpoints. Themes and styles that run through much of Mr. Cummings’ work include abstract forms, assemblage, “the rudimentary made sophisticated”, artist appropriation and homage, elegant durability, “the dangerous made innocuous”, satire in the face of mortality, and unabashed whimsy. His materials and style run the gamut of the diversity of his themes, from ladders and toilets to barbed wire and stone.

Mr. Cummings has been invited to install his works on several occasions by art professionals but has demurred. The Art on The Rim project is the only venue he has presented outside of Bent, New Mexico.

CHRIS CUMMINGS PROFILE: He has been working for 19 years creating 100 artworks for the Bent Meadows Sculpture Ranch project in Bent, New Mexico. There are 150 pieces to date. Many of the pieces are site specific while others are stand-alone in nature.

Art on the Rim is brought to you by: parkeraleman

A special THANK YOU to the El Paso Community Foundation, and the Border Art Residency. For more information: contactparkeraleman@gmail.com

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