COLLIN HARRISON
ROCKFORD, IL
Aiming to create bright, bold, eye-catching images that provoke feelings is the goal of Collin Harrison’s artwork. From paint, pottery, graphic design, jewelry and posters he pretty much does it all. His pieces stem from a fascination with the number of layers that lie beneath graffiti works and how each new piece of art is created from the one underneath it.
He takes his 2D paintings and translates them to unusual canvases like skateboards, guitars and boxes. He’s recently picked up a passion for pottery which has not only provided another outlet to be creative but also a meditative process where he can find peace in his art. There’s something for everyone at Collin’s booth at DEVIATE. Check it out for yourself on October 15.
october 15
How would you describe your work?
As a multidisciplinary artist, my work varies greatly from medium to medium, but I think a good overarching theme would be bold uses of color and pattern with a hearty dose of symbolism and DIY ethic.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Thematically a blend of the occult/supernatural, old religious iconography, and dystopian literature. My more abstract work is my approach to conceptual art so that varies from series to series.
How long does it take for you to do a piece from start to finish? From idea to ready-to-hang most of my work can take weeks to accomplish. My stencil art paintings take many hours of prep-work, including upwards of 50-60 hours just cutting the stencils by hand on top of dry times and the clear coat application after the painting is finished. Pottery can take me even longer since I have to make enough work to ll a kiln, dry it, trim it, re it, glaze it, and re it one more time before it is ready for sale.
Where can we find your work? Examples of galleries, stores, and events you have been involved in. Currently I have work on display at Taudrey Toast Arcade (2017 Broadway Rockford, IL). New work will always hit my instagram first (@newspeak_creative). That work eventually makes it to my website (newspeakcreative.com) or the store there where I have a mix of physical and print-on-demand items. I have previously been involved in Rockford events such as Art Scene and Greenwich Art Fair and have had a solo show at Kortman Gallery.
Is this your full-time job? If so, where do you work? Art is no longer my full time job. Currently I run a print shop for a local college.
What are your future goals for your pieces? On top of my full time job I am also going back to school for a degree in web development. I am really excited about the possibility of using that knowledge to code apps and include touch-screen or other sorts of tech into my pieces.
What is your background? I began to get heavily into art during high school where a new love for cutting stencils and graphic design carried me through high school, my associates at Rock Valley College and my BFA from Rockford University. I still work with both today.
What do you want us to know about your art, your design, or anything at all?
I prefer to have my work speak for itself in terms of deeper meaning. The real art, if done right, happens between the viewer and the work. Because of that it can mean a million different things to a million different people - I don’t like to interfere with that.
What are you most excited about for DEVIATE? I am most excited to put together a booth that is totally my own, previously having only shown as a group at events like this. People should come to DEVIATE simply because art, like music, is best experienced in person and there will be both! People should check out my booth because there is a little something for everyone: traditional art, functional pottery, jewelry, merch, posters, I do it all.