Five questions for creatives

Chris Green

By day Chris Green is a design engineer in the agricultural and food processing industries, but his real love is building things from corrugated cardboard. For as long as he can remember he’s always been cutting up a cardboard or cereal box to make something from. The reason Chris uses corrugated cardboard is due to its accessibility, it’s something we all throw away or recycle every day. He loves the limitations the material brings too, and makes sure to emphasise this and take advantage of it with the things he makes. Chris chooses not to hide the material he’s used and rarely adds any additional paint or finishes to the material. His main influence in the things he makes is science fiction — with a lot of the projects being based on movie or video game robots. In recent years the builds have moved from small tabletop models to large freestanding sculptures, up to 4 metres tall. Robots are another thing Chris has always been obsessed with and thinks his style works well with their aesthetics.

How did you get into the creative industry, and was there a defining point in your career that led you on that path?

I was given the opportunity to create a recycled art project at an eco-festival a number of years ago. This was what really reignited my passion for making things and I have participated in the event each year since.

Is there anything you would change in your current career and if so why?

I would like to focus more on my sculpture building and take it a bit more seriously. I have had the opportunity to build a couple of pieces as commissions and have thoroughly enjoyed it so would like to focus on this more in the future.

Where do you see yourself, and your career in five years’ time?

I would like to be working more and more on my artistic projects over the next five years. Ideally, I would be in a dedicated studio space and would be treating it more as a job.

Are there any rules or habits that help you do your job more efficiently?

Keeping things tidy has really helped me enjoy the work I do. With a lot of my recent projects being large-scale, having the space to move around and not be tripping over things has really helped.

What tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in the creative industry?

I would encourage everyone to give it a go. Something as simple as gluing together a few pieces of cardboard can make for a fun afternoon and you’ll have something to show for it. If the project doesn’t turn out how you hoped don’t stress about it. I always say with my projects “it’s only cardboard” so it was going to be recycled anyway, at least you’ve enjoyed it and learned from it.

For more information about Chris and examples of his work visit www.instagram.com/cardboardcreator