Meet Evan Chambers | Metal and Glass Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evan Chambers and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Evan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Choosing to take the career path of an artist is highly irresponsible. I knew this when I started on the path, so risk for me has always been part of the equation. Now as a parent and partner, the same type of risks take on a new level of responsibility. The stakes are higher, and directly affect other people. Knowing when, where, why and how to make choices that will inform future projects and in what ways those choices will ripple through my life are survival skills. The big difference in the evolution of risk is the confidence that comes with having risked for so long. I know how to recognize my own failures and move through them patiently and I’m proud of the skills I’ve collected that have so far allowed me to land on my feet. This experience has given me the freedom to take risks without risking it all. I recognize that without risk, art becomes replication and then by its true nature is no longer art.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While my best friend was visiting me back in 2016, I figured that it was a great opportunity to explore the city by boat from the water. The LA river has never really been associated with boats. It’s usually associated with crime, graffiti and epic car chases along its empty 50 mile concrete culvert. I didn’t have a boat though – why would I since there’s barely any water in LA? So we “borrowed” a canoe Huck Finn style from an upscale drug rehab facility. This required climbing the barbed wire fence after dark and swimming across the duck-shit filled pond. We then portaged the stolen canoe over 6 miles and 3 chainlink fences to get it to the confluence of the beautiful Arroyo Seco and the mighty LA river (aka the 5 and the 110 freeways). Then, a necessary pit stop at El Atacor #1 in Highland Park to eat the best, and biggest burrito of my life. With full bellies and 2 paddles we set out down the river at 9 pm. The unusually wet winter made it possible to float with only minimal boat bottom scraping. For 30 miles we illegally floated down this under appreciated river. We silently went under freeway overpasses and street bridges. People cooked on small fires and stoves all along the river banks and washed their dishes in the 5 foot wide channel. In Vernon, the only “exclusively industrial” city in all of Los Angeles, the water began to stink. Once in Long Beach, we smiled in triumph after noticing the faint taste of salt in the water when we capsized the canoe for the third time. At the very end of the river we paddled across the harbor to the iconic Queen Mary. We gave a rap with our knuckles along its metal hull, then pulled the canoe out as we ended our night. It was 4 am and we were wet, shivering and feeling triumphant. This is undoubtedly one of the best times I have ever shown a visiting friend. While it can’t be replicated exactly, this would be MY idea of the best way to ‘check out’ this vast city of Los Angeles.
Website: www.evanchambersobjects.com
Instagram: @evanchambersobjects
Facebook: Evan Chambers Objects
Image Credits
Bobby Meyers
Nominate someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.