Mel Chin
b. 1951, Houston, TX
lives in Egypt Township, North Carolina
Mel Chin creates unique, idiosyncratic objects that require multi-disciplinary, collaborative teamwork. Public projects are insistently dosed with a rigorous pragmatism and an elevated poetic. Studio work is without a signature style resulting in works suffused with a deeply considered restraint or excess to promote an unpredictable aesthetic. His work Revival Field (1991-93) pioneered the scientific use of plants to remove toxic, heavy metals from the soil. He then founded the collective In the Name of the Place (1995-1998) to bring conceptual art ideas onto American prime-time television. His 9-11/9-11, (2007) won the Pedro Sienna Award for Animation in Chile. His nationwide initiative Fundred gave tangible form and political value to over 500,000 individuals opposed to the threat of childhood lead-poisoning. Unmoored and Wake (2018) in Times Square, New York City, was a visual portal into a future of rising waters. He established S.O.U.R.C.E. Studio (2017) to both enlarge the dialogue and realize sustained engagements with community and environment. He is the recipient of many awards, grants, and honorary degrees, including the MacArthur Fellowship, 2019, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, 2021.
