Artist has his own spin

By Melissa Pingeton

Beads. Plastic zip ties. Stamps. You might see these as ordinary items, but for Chris Whitehead these are what he describes as “alternative media.”

Whitehead has made a commitment to seeking different ways to express his craft. “Feminine Power” is a piece of art depicting a woman with long black hair. Spending a few hours each day, Whitehead worked on the project for a year and a half, stringing pony beads with monofilament. “Alyson,” made entirely out of stamps, is a portrait of a woman.

“I constantly want to be challenged,” says Whitehead, 32. He feels that any type of art is a challenge, but is always looking for “something that isn’t done very often.”

Another alternative piece was one he painted for a church in Hopkinton, MA. This past Easter, Whitehead stood in front the church with a piece of glass between him and congregational members. With a ten minute time limit, Whitehead painted the scene as musicians played “rock and roll-ish church music.“

So how was it painting for a live audience?

“They loved it,” says Whitehead. The painting is now on display at the church.

For Whitehead, art has always been an important part of his life. As a child, he would draw on anything, even the tiniest scraps of paper. His parents constantly brought him to art exhibits. And forget toys for Christmas.

“It was always art supplies.”

Whitehead explains that his parents always supported his interest in art and it was his mother who questioned Whitehead’s intention of becoming a biological medical illustrator, something that he did as well.

“My mother said, ‘What are you doing? You’re an artist,’” says Whitehead.

He graduated from Iowa State University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Drawing, Painting and Printmaking and a minor in English. Interestingly, he explains that his English minor was a result of a dare from his roommate. Needing only three more classes to complete the minor, Whitehead saw it as a personal challenge because of his dyslexia.

While attending Iowa State, Whitehead participated in 11 art shows, winning “Best In Show” for one and receiving an honorable mention for another. Whitehead feels that all students should participate in as many art shows as they can because of the free admissions.

After college, Whitehead spent seven years as an art teacher in California and today he is the Manager of Youth and Family Class Programs at the Worcester Art Museum. In addition to his role at WAM, he does commissioned artwork and photography.

Looking towards the future, Whitehead hopes to become Director of Education at an art museum. He recalls his internship during college at the Brunnier Art Museum in Iowa that involved creating tours, researching art work and participating in restoration work with sculpture specialists.

“I looked at my boss and thought this was a great job,” he says. “I love working with people in the art field… if you’re going to have to work, there’s no better place to be.”

Regardless of what Whitehead is doing, he will never stop creating artwork.

“I’m pretty much dead if I’m not creating,” he says. “Creation to me is the best thing in the world.”

To see examples of Whitehead’s work or to purchase his artwork, visit www.infinitypond.com.

Photos: top left, “Feminine Power”, bottom right, “Alyson”