Peter Chang (jewelry artist)
Peter Chang is a British artist who is known for working in plastic. His artwork primarily take the form of jewelry. Chang's work is highly recognizable for its intense detail and bright colors.
Bio
Peter was born to a British mother and a Chinese seaman in 1944. He was raised in Liverpool and at age 13 began attending the Liverpool secondary school of art. Upon completing his degrees in graphic design and sculpture at the Liverpool College of Art peter found himself in Paris working under The Famous printmaker Stanley William Hayter.
Influences
Peter Chang consistently cites his Asian heritage as a strong theme in his artwork. He consistently brings up the balance of good and evil in his work. Many of the surrealist pieces he encountered working under Hayter at Atelier 17 also had a profound influence on Peter's work.
Artwork
The plastic artwork of Peter Chang uses a variety of methods to achieve the bright colors and bizarre shapes. He usually starts with either a foam or wood base. He then uses a layer of polyester resin mixed with fiberglass for structural stability. He then layers acrylic over his pieces to incorporate the bright colors. His pieces are finished with a transparent layer of varnish. Overall he varies these steps carving and [...] away the acrylic so that his results can vary. He also incorporates many found objects into his pieces. Many of Chang's earlier plastic pieces were made entirely of recycled plastics.
References
- Metalsmith magazine peter chang 2008 volume 28 no2
- http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/peterchang/