Tyler Chodera

Tyler Chodera (He/Him/His)
Environmental Studies and Studio Art double major

Artist Website: runsonart.com

In my work, beaked “bug-eaters” — characters of my imagination — dance under a tree threatened by a strange disease. These plush, yet unsettling, beings are like empty costumes come to life. It is unclear whether these bug-eaters are ill-intentioned, even to me. This piece explores amorphous concepts that range from dread induced by climate change to an indifference towards the material world of flesh, rock, and wood, with eyes and aims fixed on the heavens.

I am drawn to handmade paper collage because of the vibrant colors and soft, fibrous texture, which — like a sponge — absorbs all that comes into contact. My past work engages with themes of congregation and parade, climate change, and the feeling of being swept up in a feverish cultural inertia.