Charissa Brock

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1971, Charissa Brock has worked with natural materials since 1993 and with bamboo since 1999. Her abstract sculptures combine basketry, woodworking, fiber art, and self-taught techniques. Her work is deeply influenced by her mother, internationally recognized glass artist Emily Brock, and her grandfather, Oregon flower farmer Paul Brandon, who fostered her lifelong connection to the natural world. Brock holds a BFA in Glass from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and an MFA in Fibers from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Her work has been featured in American Craft, American Style, Crafts Report, and Fiber Arts Magazine, and she has lectured at institutions including the Ruth Funk Center for Textiles and Bullseye Glass Gallery. Her work has been supported by several RACC grants and has taken her to Japan to research traditional bamboo arts. Her sculptures are held in private and public collections throughout the United States and internationally. Her work has been included in exhibitions including Crafting America, curated by Glenn Adamson and Jen Padgett, and Art Evolved: Intertwined, a touring museum exhibition. She has presented solo and two-person exhibitions at venues including the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Bullseye Glass Gallery, Guardino Gallery, and Riversea Gallery.

Many times in my life I have come upon an archaeological artifact, plant, animal, or insect that at first glance has a questionable identification, origin or meaning. My mind is at once awed by the mystery and at the same time works through my past experiences to try and place meaning on what is in front of me. There is a line that is walked between what a viewer sees, what they think they see, and what they actually see. I gather my bamboo from backyards, gardens and farms around Oregon, dry it for at least six months, then prepare it with heat. When I work I develop a system for creating a structure. I consider each of these systems to be like a sentence in a paragraph that tells a story — a part of my visual vocabulary.

Sub Rosa Caeli — “Beneath the Celestial.” Helix forms drawn from DNA, seashells, star patterns and plant growth — her spiralling technique, developed over 28 years.

Cloud Watching — The same spiral, made small and joined by one continuous line into an interconnected, flowing network.

Education

• MFA Fibers, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, 2000
• BFA Glass, Center for Creative Studies / College of Art and Design, Detroit, 1994

Collections

• Arizona State University Museum
• Oregon State Treasury
• Johnson Wax
• River Place Hotel, Portland
• Hyatt Regency Maui

charissabrock.com