Statement
My work is a synthesis of sculpture and sustainable design. My unique process is to upcycle salvage propane tanks into functional sculptures. I carefully dissect the tanks and reassemble the pieces, while doing no additional forming of the metal. The result is an object which is playful, comfortable, durable and ecologically responsible. Aesthetically I draw on a variety of influences. Some designs are abstract compositions of forms, others are purely whimsical, and some pay homage to iconic furniture. After extensive ergonomic research an ideal relative position of curved seat to curved backrest has been determined which provides good lumbar support for a wide range of body sizes. I have been granted a series of patents for my designs, which have won national and international awards for their aesthetic, technical, and innovative qualities.
Bio
My ecologically conscious parents instilled in me from an early age the importance of conserving our planet’s resources, although they had mixed emotions when I took their message to heart and searched through our neighbors’ garbage on my way home from elementary school retrieving appliances and furniture I could repair. While studying metal sculpting at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston I earned a degree in Philosophy from Tufts University in 1987. My education from that time included apprenticeships with a machinist, race car fabricator, and public art sculptor. In the next couple of decades I continued to master my craft, restoring a wide variety of antique vehicles and equipment while doing a limited amount of sculpting. In 2007 I began to focus on my artwork. Committed to a sustainable lifestyle I reside and work within an intentional community in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Awards
Smithsonian Craft Show “Exhibitors’ Choice Gold Award” 2012
American Society of Landscape Architects national expo “Most Interesting Products” 2012
Eco Arts Awards (international), Second Place, Repurposed Materials, juried by Lloyd Herman 2013
Core77 Design Awards (international), Runner Up, DIY category 2011
Spark Design Awards (international), Finalist 2012
Patents
US D 683,146 Design patent: Propane tank bench
US D 683,147 Design patent: Propane tank chaise bench
US D 683,148 Design patent: Propane tank lips bench
US D 716,572 Design patent: Propane tank asymmetric backless bench
US D 721,237 Design patent: Propane tank club chair
US Pending Utility patent: Methods for making seating from pressure vessels (link)
Selected Press & Blogs
San Jose Mercury News “Tanks for the comfy seating,” artist interview, November 23, 2012
Hampton’s Magazine, Artist Interview, Memorial Day issue 2014, p. 150
San Francisco Examiner, “New West Coast Design 2” exhibit review, Jan. 2, 2014
American Style Magazine, Fall 2012 issue, p. 39.
Washington Post, “Home is Where the Art Is,” October 26, 2012, p. C8
Farm Show Magazine, artist interview, March 2013 issue
contemporist, May 31, 2013
Critical Response
“The massive, upcycled Propane Tank Club Chair by Colin Selig is bubbly, curvaceous and looks like something from a James Bond film.”
-San Francisco Examiner, 2/2/14
“Whether referencing Salvador Dali's "Mae West" sofa with bold, ruby-red "lip" benches, or boggling the mind of the best engineers with stunning, continuous-piece asymmetrical chairs, Selig has full command of his craft.”
-San Jose Mercury News, 11/23/12
“People were a little 'shocked' in a good way, as it is really different than anything else around in the major design period between Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week. So it really stood apart, which is an amazing accomplishment in a high density period of product presentation. The chair was also VERY comfortable and extremely well made. ”
-Melissa Regan, owner
Galerie Joseph, Paris, 10/15/13
Colin Selig : 1547 Palos Verdes #315, Walnut Creek, California 94597, USA : info@colinselig.com : +1.925.457.5060
Colin Selig © 2010-2015, All Rights Reserved