Chris Orr
About the artist and his practice
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Creating beautiful art from the past and the present...
...from the everyday and the mundane
Chris believes art can be created form the most mundane of objects – in part derived from working in graphic design, where you are often called upon to polish a turd. Given a subject, Chris storyboards it into the third dimension.
Chris reclaims engravings of Renaissance images and layers them with a mélange of modern detritus – from aluminium cans to discarded laptop motherboards to a surgical skull – scanned at ultra-high resolution to reveal surprising new views and hidden landscapes.
Crimson Thread (Chris Orr, 2021)
Crimson Thread (Chris Orr, 2021)
Miss Information (Chris Orr, 2021)
Miss Information (Chris Orr, 2021)
Sections of a motherboard from a discarded laptop were scanned at ultra-high resolution...
...then meticulously and laboriously traced and tiled to create complex and unique cartographic patination.
The old meets the new
Building on a lifelong love of classical art, Chris creates high resolution scans of engravings of Renaissance paintings.
These engravings, made by later artists so the original paintings can reach a wider audience, are thus further interpreted and brought into today's reality.
The engravings are refurbished and re-inhabited to create cyber baroque confections.
Head of 12 Year Old Christ
Painting by Albrecht Dürer (1506)
Engraving by Aegidius Sadeler II (1598)
Gethsemane, Garden of Tears
Chris Orr, 2021
Custom acrylic box FRAMES
Further enhancing their appeal, featured works are framed in custom-made coloured acrylic boxes.
These stunning boxes refract light on to and around the artwork.
Original print for 'Coccus Ilicus' (Chris Orr, 2022)
'Coccus Ilicus' (Chris Orr, 2022) framed in pink acrylic box
'Keyboard Warrior' (Chris Orr, 2022)
'Keyboard Warrior' (Chris Orr, 2022)
Temple Apostate (Chris Orr, 2022)
Temple Apostate (Chris Orr, 2022)
Miss Information 2 (Chris Orr, 2022)
Miss Information 2 (Chris Orr, 2022)
Acrylic blocks
Some of Chris Orr's original works are also available as beautifully crafted acrylic blocks.
The blocks sit perfectly on a book shelf, window sill or desk to catch and defract light.
Produced on 20mm thick acrylic blocks at various sizes. Limited editions of 20.
View more Chris Orr acrylic blocks below...
Keyboard Warrior [block]
Keyboard Warrior [block]
Coca Cardellino Rosa [block]
Coca Cardellino Rosa [block]
Circuit Queen (Blå) [block]
Circuit Queen (Blå) [block]
Crimson Thread [block]
Crimson Thread [block]
Sun Shone 2 [block]
Sun Shone 2 [block]
Latest exhibition: Sacellum
Displayed at fortyfivedownstairs, June 2022
A selection of works in Sacellum
"Gethsemane Blue"
Pigment inks on archival rag, frame matte white wood
"Keyboard Warrior"
Chris Orr, 2022. Pigment inks on archival rag, frame acrylic box
"Miss Information 2"
Chris Orr, 2022. Pigment inks on archival rag, Matte white wood
What is it you can't face, Marie?
Chris Orr, 2022. Pigment inks on archival rag, matte black wood
A video tour of Sacellum
Take a quick tour through Chris Orr's latest exhibition, Sacellum, as seen at fortyfivedownstairs in June 2002.
View previous exhibitions
Sacellum
View works from Sacellum, 2022
Conventicle
View works from Conventicle, 2019
Bone Idol
View works from Bone Idol, 2015
Dolly series
View works from Dolly series, 1999-2010
Built with Shorthand