Character Artist: Samuel Burns

Character
Artist: Samuel Burns, Chattanooga, TN
Media: Painted steel, 8' x 1.5' x 3'
Location: 618 State Street (formerly Ruth King Antiques) Crosswalk

I was originally trained in photography but over the years, sculpture has become a big influence in my artwork, which is mainly about exposing a distorted reality originating from contemporary myth and deep-rooted traditional legend and exploring the varying scales of abstraction. The ability of the mind and eye to bend reality and the potential of such altered perception to affect society as well as the individual, are explored through varying degrees of my abstract expression. Working in both medias is similar with the way light and shadow plays an important part in the appearance and feel of my art.

Samuel Burns spent ten years working for the North Carolina Zoological Park in their design department, designing and constructing animal exhibits along with model construction as part of the construction plans. Later, commercial design and construction of artificial rock and waterscapes continued his path towards artistic construction of sculpture. In 1999 he started full time as a sculptor and photographer using primarily steel and aluminum. In 2007, after being accepted into Art Move Chattanooga, he moved to and set up a studio and home and is now working in large scale sculpture of mostly aluminum.
Art in Public Places