Chris Cander is an exceptionally talented young woman that we are lucky to have amongst our ranks. She is a writer of childrens’ books, a novelist, poet, martial artist and now a REAL artist! Chris is adept with words and has a vocabulary that is awe-inspiring. In collaboration with some of our metal artists, furniture makers, welders, etc. she has added words that permanently instill deeper meaning to their works. Chris is very creative with the shaping, size and meaning of these words that she so thoughtfully melds with the works of other artists.

And smart as a whip she is… We thought we would be able to trip her up when calling with a request for a poem to be welded onto the top of the section of rail road iron which embodies the work we lovingly call, “On Track”. ” We need a poem that is 54″ long, 1.5″ high and about inner strength.”  It took her all of a few hours to come back with the perfect answer!

I have taken an excerpt out of Chris’ blog on her Chris Cander Author site to include here: “I was honored that Fe29 asked me to co-create something with one of their artists. The piece I began with is a long sheet of copper, oxidized an oceanic green and then texturized to resemble the magnified surface of a canvas. It had three gentle swells, which look like waves. Taking the artist’s life journey into consideration I wrote a poem that I hoped would reflect her story and enhance in some small way her piece of art”.

“The Journey” is twelve lines long, and can be read either starting at the first line or in reverse, starting at the last, with the meaning slightly altered depending on the direction. To incorporate it into the piece, I stamped the lines using letter stamps and a hammer, alternating the direction of each line to encourage viewers to begin reading at either end. I was quite moved by the process of physically transcribing my verse onto the piece. It was the first time I had ever collaborated with another artist in such a way. I hope it won’t be the last.”

THE JOURNEY

To get where I thought I most wanted to be

Away from all the incongruities and absurdities

I pressed myself

To you

I lashed and thrummed my way

Pulsing through torpor and even, sometimes, joy

I lolled and swam and slipped

Alone

Crossing that predatory ocean of loss

Between What-was and What-might-have-been

And, despite spending so much time thusly

I ended up exactly where I am

We are so glad and so lucky to have Chris on board. Stay tuned for more works with her words…