Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1468547
space and explore it," he says. After Cranbrook, Schanck toyed with the idea of becoming an industrial designer "who made useful things … But my natural instincts kicked in, and the sculptor in me came back." He's never strayed far from the practical, though, so making complex sculptures that are also furniture has advantages. "It's familiar, and people can relate to the work, which isn't always the case with art," he says. "I can bring somebody over to the Mum chandelier and say, 'What are we looking at? Are we looking at a sofa? Are we looking at a mirror?' We're obviously looking at a light, and everybody's on the same page, no matter how bizarre it is or what I'm intending with the narrative. It's an entry point that can ease people into it." Schanck works out of a studio in a converted 1920s machine shop in Banglatown, employing artists, students, and craftspeople from the neighborhood, which is mostly populated by immigrants. His art is expensive — the prices reflect intense production costs and a living wage paid for seven people, including himself — so he's looking for ways to make other art that's affordable. He's in the early stages of a collaboration with a friend, Detroit artist Wesley Taylor, that might involve limited-edition clothing and music, which they'll kick off at a low-key underground show in New York that circumvents the commercial art world. Most recently, he's joined the roster at the prestigious David Gill Gallery in London — which represents the Campana Brothers, the late Dame Zaha Hadid, and Daniel Libeskind — and is feverishly working on pieces for a Fall 2023 solo show. The significance of making a big mark in the rarefied world of art and design isn't lost on Schanck, who started out with all the chips stacked against him. "I'm not the kind of person who's supposed to make it in this world," he says. "Art is like love — it's a total leap of faith. It can crumble under your feet, or it can sustain you." madmuseum.org. Alley Vanity and Garden Chair, 2020 "IN MY HEART I'M AN ARTIST — DESIGNING FURNITURE IS HOW I'VE FOUND MY WAY. Shuddering Cabinet, 2022 COURTESY OF FRIEDMAN BENDA AND CHRIS SCHANCK. PHOTOGRAPHY CLARE GATTO. JENNA BASCOM — Chris Schanck 56