Chris MartinAssociate Professor, Integrated Studio Arts
Education
BFA, Iowa State University, 1990
MFA, Rhode Island School of Design, 1994
Research Interests
Although my drive for creative expression through the design and production of furniture forms continues, my research focus has changed and expanded.
From June 2008- July 2010 my wife and I served as Peace Corps volunteers, teaching in a rural village in Ghana, West Africa. This proved to be a profound and life changing experience. After encountering seemingly infinite variations of development concepts and seeing what works & what does not, I have gained an interest and passion for issues of sustainable development. More specifically, I am interested in how art & design plays a part in sustainable development and how cross-discipline collaborations can serve to advance honest, actual, and effective sustainable development.
I am also planning further investigation of Ghanaian and West African indigenous arts & crafts, with focus on the history and specifically current and past production processes. My goal is to understand and document these unique techniques, (such as Krobo glass bead making and Ewe kente weaving), in hopes of assisting Ghanaians in promoting their craft as well as preserving it for posterity.
I believe there may be a link between indigenous art and sustainable development. So throughout my investigations, I will attempt to identify and clarify those links
Current Projects
Body of furniture pieces based on my experiences in Africa.
Working on a manufacturing process to produce furniture forms, primarily schools desks, from waste plastic & agricultural byproducts.
Investigation into developing sustainable development curriculum & possible program.
Contact Information
Phone: (515) 294-1639
Email: chmartin@iastate.edu
WWW: chrismartinfurniture.com
Office: 089 Design
Mailing Address