Christian Karkow has been with Antfarm Studios since December 2003. In 1991, he began his studies in civil engineering but followed his passion with the outdoors and changed to major in geology. While earning his degree, his spare time was filled with photography and drawing. When assisting a geologic field course in Northern Italy, he became aware of the sublime feelings evoked by great works of art and architecture. Reacting to this, he entered the world of architecture through the graduate school of architecture at NC State University. After his second year of graduate studies, Christian began to explore courses in industrial design along with his architecture curriculum. As design and construction techniques are ideally hand-in-hand, his focus was to emphasize this point. He had also begun a focus on sculpture during his final academic year.

Since graduation, Christian has worn many hats. Primarily, he is a design-build consultant for designers and artists. His work ranges from architectural steel to prototyping the designs of varied clients. He is currently visiting faculty at the NC State College of Design teaching Design and Build methods.

Primarily, Christian spends his time in pursuit of his sculpture. His work is driven by the delight of the discarded, found or "sought" object. Christian's assemblages, constructions and machines are often focused on the history (often fictional) of his media. His themes are often critiques of various subjects ranging from childhood memory, political ambition, and natural processes.

Divine Comedy is a combination of a discarded color sampling stage and sculptural marionettes. It serves as a diversionary amusement system for misguided / ambitious leaders. Inspired by the recent events in the Middle East, I felt it would be useful for our leaders to have inanimate dolls to feed their greed for power rather than living souls.

The subjects are sheep-like and penitent. Their heads glow red (save one blue sheep) in anticipation. When activated the dolls dance with fury, shaking their bodies often leading to self-dismemberment.

When the viewer is finished with the dolls they shut off the stage lights and close the doors. The dolls remain glowing reminding us that we are accountable for their futures even though we move on.

Lady Iron is an explorati0n of childhood pedagogy and its tendency to obsolescence. As a portable backpack, Lady Iron recalls walking to school in militaristic formation. The child's desk contains both the media of childhood pedagogy and forbidden, hidden treasure. It is unlocked and transfigured through subtle, self-contained hardware and clues. The ultimate dissection reveals an antique iron cradled by its once scrutinized subject.

If the vital organs of the great mummies of Egypt were enshrined separate from their bodies, should not our discarded machines be treated similar?

Each Canopic box contains a copper relic of a machine, which I felt behaved like an essential, vital organ. Each box is lined and decorated with complimentary media idealizing the role the part once played. Each story is a fiction based on the scrap-copper's inherent composition.

Chalk wagon combines and re-associates two discarded relics of our sidewalk amusement as children. The antique wagon's basin behaves like a clamshell, benevolently protecting and displaying its sidewalk-chalk companion. Adjustable traction rings inspired by means of mending broken bones and displaying crystal samples hold the chalk. Its cradle and associated magnifying lens objectify the tool having once expressed our public thoughts and feelings. The system is balanced and preserved within the potential to spin and dance to songs as "Ring around the rosy".

This shelf was designed and built around two principles. The first respects both static and dynamic forces acting upon the shelf. The shelf acts as a structural diagram of the balance between these forces. The second principle deals with material characteristics. Steel acts in behalf of all linear forces, while the wood acts in bending. Brass serves as an interface between steel and wood.

• "NC State Designs", NCSU, Gallery of Art and Design, May 2002
• "Highlights of Graduating Architecture Graduate Students", NCSU, College of Design, Centerpiece, Brooks Gallery, March 2003
• Fish Market Gallery, Raleigh, NC, "Metaquasi", June 2003
• "Artwalk Durham", Durham, NC, Storefront exhibit, November 2003
• "Boylan Artwalk", Antfarm Studios, Raleigh, NC, December 2003
• Antfarm Studios Openhouse, Raleigh, NC, March 2004

• Department of Architecture, Technology Award: 2003
• Kamphoefner Fellowship Nominee: 2002
• J.A. Jones Architecture Scholarship: 2001
• David Allen Fellowship: 2000
• AIA/AAF Scholarship for First Professional Degree Candidates: 2000
• Tau Sigma Delta: honor society: 2000
• Little and Associates fellowship: 1999