Bend-born ‘owl’ takes up lofty nest in the Big Apple
Crowds gathered on Madison Avenue last week to watch as Barneys New York unveiled BAZ DAZZLED – a multi-platform holiday extravaganza including fantastical characters, woodland creatures, ice skaters, candy canes and snow owls — including a large one created by a Bend artist.
The collaboration includes cinematic duo Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, and the work of a team of artists, including a large kinetic owl made by Chris Cole.
Cole, a kinetic artist based in Bend, created a 6 -foot-tall kinetic owl that watches passers-by on the street while his bicycle-chain-trimmed beak tells holiday tales.
As his head rotates left and right, he ruffles his wings within a massive nest made of branches and industrial remnants.
Covered with steel, aluminum and brass feathers, the owl lets people on the street look into his mechanical heart through a lit portal (salvaged from an old sailboat). A second portal on his side invites inquisitive viewers to see his inner workings.
The collaboration marks an important turning point for the artist. While Cole’s work is displayed internationally, working with Barneys New York is a unique honor.
“I was excited when Barneys asked me to create a snow owl for this event; I’d been considering doing an owl for some time,” Coe said.
Cole’s sculptures are mostly bird and fish-like fantastical machines. His kinetic work explores the relationships between the industrial and natural worlds. He is inspired
by the intersection of nature and industry.
Heavily influenced by the industrial revolution, he uses simple mechanisms to gain deeper understanding of our civilization’s quest for flight, our ceaseless desire for faster and more versatile transportation.
Understanding the way things work is a means through which he can explore the concepts of movement and functionality in combination with aesthetics.
Baz Dazzled will be on display to the public now through January 1 at Barneys New York Flagship, 660 Madison Avenue in New York.
