Sculpture

Andrew Chase: From Cult Upbringing to Mechanical Masterpieces

The Unconventional Journey of an American Artist Who Transforms Scrap Metal into Lifelike Animal Sculptures

9 September 2024250 Views

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
Henry Ward Beecher

Andrew Chase, an American photographer, sculptor, designer, and artist, began his life in a religious cult on the shores of Massachusetts. At nineteen, seeking freedom from a life of poverty, obedience, and chastity, he fled to southern Utah, ironically finding a less religious environment as a whitewater raft guide. After college, Andrew moved to Salt Lake City and started working as a commercial photographer. He soon discovered a passion for welding while making security bars for his studio, leading him to create his own furniture—often beautiful but impractically designed.

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Chase’s artistry evolved into crafting intricate animal sculptures from scrap metal, such as plumbing parts, car parts, and electrical conduits. His sculptures, typically about 36″ x 36″ x 18″ and weighing around 39 kg, are known for their industrial aesthetic and sharp edges. Inspired by machinery, Chase matches animals to specific equipment, like a giraffe as a crane and an elephant as a forklift, bringing a unique mechanical life to his creations.

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