We’re looking forward to introducing you to Chas Martin. Check out our conversation below.
Chas, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Both! I have a vision and I make conscious choices that move me toward that vision. At the same time, I’m constantly considering alternative paths.
When you concentrate on a goal, your focus is appropriately narrow. What you don’t see, or simply fail to acknowledge, are the many opportunities that may not align with your path but could greatly enhance your journey. I try to balance a path of focused convergent thinking, with the possibilities of divergent thinking.
Convergent thinking is myopic. It eliminates possibilities that don’t directly support your goal. Divergent thinking is broad. It reveals the possibilities that could change everything. What if your goal is a bit shortsighted. Or it’s just a degree or two off the mark. Or maybe it’s not your real goal. When you continually question the “why” of the goal, the “how” of the solution becomes much more powerful. Creativity succeeds when convergent and divergent thinking combine to eliminate predictability and create unanticipated opportunity.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a visual communicator, a visual storyteller. I use sculpture and painting to explore the archetypal characters and the myths that influence our lives.
A common theme of my work is transformation. Through my abstract characters, I present primal gestures that express universal qualities or situations. These gestures tell stories of transformation from one state to another.
My goal is to reach beyond the superficial to the primal. On that level, there are no labels, no gender bias, no ageism, sexism, racism. Only the pure, fundamental experiences we all share. What we have in common binds us together into a healthy community. Superficial labels only separate us by amplifying our differences.
In film, theater, or novels there is the character arc. We expect a character to be transformed by the obstacle they encounter. They start with one perspective and through the obstacles, their actions, and the knowledge gained, become someone else. How is that different from what we experience in our own lives? Every day is a drama. We confront obstacles. The result is transformation. Each challenge sets the stage for change and growth. This is our personal mythology. Our path is not fixed. We have the option to change or be changed. Our decisions map our storyline.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was 8 years old my favorite TV show was Rod Serling’s original “Twilight Zone”. Every episode offered an unusual situation or ended with an unanticipated twist. I loved how Serling could change your perspective or make you truly see a situation differently. He used fiction to present topics the network would not allow him to address directly: racism, justice, politics, etc.
Allegory transfers attention from a known pattern to a hypothetical one. It permits the author to highlight more universal statements. Powerful storytelling at its very best.
The impact of Serling’s half-hour thought experiments stayed with me. In art school, I started incorporating allegories into my visual expressions. That’s when I realized it is easier for us to understand the truth when we are presented with an abstract representation of the experience. When we connect the dots and see the truth of the pattern, we are more likely to be transformed by it.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
About five minutes ago! Commitment can be a disadvantage. The ability to adapt or change is a foundation for creativity.
It’s like this. You commit to a vision. Then conditions change and the opportunity that attracted you has shifted. Do you remain committed or do you reassess and change your strategy? Life is dynamic. Opportunities are fluid. Predictability can be a weakness.
Years ago I worked for a huge software company. Through data mining, their clients could analyze your past buying activities to predict your future decisions. Marketers know more about how you will respond than you do and they exploit it. Your habitual actions have a cost. Convergent thinking condenses into convergent actions. In the animal kingdom, it’s called survival of the fittest. A deer goes to the same watering hole three evenings in a row. On the fourth, the observant lion feasts on venison.
Changing your mind eludes predictability. If you recognize your patterns you can manage them to your advantage. You’ll discover more options and have more control over your path.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Most of my sculptures are under 30” tall. In my imagination, they are all larger than life. I have sketches for a sculpture garden where a number of them are 8’ tall. It would be a totally different experience for a viewer.
An alternative to that could be a virtual sculpture garden or holographic images. Scale definitely impacts how viewers respond. I have created several masks that are 4’ high. When you see a life-size mask, you have a life-size reaction. When you encounter a monumental mask, your relationship with it is completely different. Instead of being an object, it becomes an entity.
To date, I have created one 6’ tall sculpture. But, I view every character I’ve created as a sketch for something bigger.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
If I’m awake, I’m probably out of my depth! That’s why I get out of bed every morning. I can’t wait for the next challenge and the chance to stretch a little further. Even if the day’s challenge is similar to a previous one, my response will be different. I thrive on risk. If I confine my imagination to patterns that are comfortable, where’s the growth?
Chuck Close was a painter whose opinions on art are enlightening. He said each piece reaches a critical decision point. You’re unsure how to proceed. The safe decision is to quit. Move on. His response was to attack the obstacle head on. The worst that can happen is you mess it up. The best that can happen is you achieve a breakthrough. You and your work move to the next level.
That advice is equal to 4 years of art school. Go for the breakthrough! Stretch your abilities. Bob Dylan expressed it beautifully, “He not busy being born is busy dying.” You’re the hero of your journey, not the victim. Most people who have succeeded have also failed many times along the way. So what? Failure isn’t defeat. It’s the greatest teacher.
Creativity is the dance of failure and success. If you’re reluctant to step outside of your depth, you do the same thing again and again. That’s not artwork. It’s factory work. Some artists find success making one thing and spend the rest of their lives recreating the same thing. They are busy dying. I won’t look back at the end of my life and wish I had done something more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chasmartin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasmartinart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasmartin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chas.martin.31/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjc9k_MbcCztLDT1wCXvGdg
Image Credits
Headshot: Brian McDonnell
Sculptures: Chas Martin
Mask: Brenda Boylan
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
