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The aim of this thesis is to grasp the life force of nature that is inherent in nature and formalize it through my instinctive and experiential perspective toward life rather than reproducing an organism itself. The idea is to deliver more positive and hopeful messages by inducing natural human consciousness and flow of emotions, using metal as an art medium for its unique properties to express life images.

The life and times of Christopher Wayne Reno, as they relate to his years at the University of Iowa, are presented within the pages of this small but potent document. Reader beware: once you've cracked this tome and experienced the wonders within, your view of the world will be fundamentally altered. Your life may no longer hold its current luster. I urge caution!

Reflection is an artistic representation of my thoughts and experiences while attending the University of Iowa

This body of work was created during my time at the University of Iowa. The work operates as an embodiment of personal traumas and memories. Materials and processes are at the forefront of the work as they link me to my past. The scale of the work remains small not only for the sake of portability, but for its intimate relationship to the viewer.

A detailed account of how failure can lead to success. Through my attempts to design a chair, I developed a method of bending plywood using Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) routing. Ultimately, I considered my chair a failure. The method I had developed to wood was not suitable for my chair because it left the material too flexible. Determined to find another application for my wood bending method, I applied it to a new series of lamps. Bending thin plywood with a similar cut pattern on the CNC Laser cutter gave the perfect balance of flexibility and strength for lamp shades. Simple as the new lamps may be, they leave numerous possibilities for development in scale and shape.

Space Camp reports back from the final frontier; sharing the memory, shaping the dream.

My individual journey as an artist has allowed me to develop in what can be considered two societal extremes; growing up in condensed suburban Southern California to living in rural mid-American Iowa. This change in settings caused me to question how the environment one grows up in influences his cultural and social perspective. Within this environment exists a support structure of family, friends, and community who also play a large role in how an individual's perception develops, including concepts of honesty, integrity, and ethics- but to what extent? This question of how different circumstances and interactions define our beliefs and values is the heart of my artistic practice.

I've always welcomed and thrived on doubt from exterior sources. Proving people wrong, whether in athletics or academics, fueled me to work harder, smarter and faster. As a student-athlete at a Division I institution granted me opportunities that few students are introduced to. My four year college football career required physical and mental preparation, but it also taught me the value of attention to detail and hard work. These skills formed the foundation of my design process and as a result I am able to skillfully create functional pieces in multiple mediums. I wanted to show people that I could achieve anything that I set my mind to by using the skills that I acquired from a Division I football career, as well as my years as an undergrad. Using my creativity to manipulate different forms and design functional pieces gave me the same satisfaction as scoring a touchdown in front of thousands of fans in Kinnick Stadium. I had always been interested applying this to a career in architecture, but the University of Iowa doesn't have a specific program for architects. Balancing a similar major - Engineering- with 60 hours a week of football would have been impossible. While interviewing multiple architecture firms, as well during my time working for SGGM Architects, I have learned that an architectural degree is not necessary to make an impact in the field. Rapid technological advancements, especially in computer modeling, have allowed me to not only work and design in programs that architects use, but to use them more efficiently. I plan to use this opportunity to showcase my unique approach to designing architecture models and to demonstrate how modeling software advancements allow people without architecture degrees to plan, model and design spaces as effectively as those who do. I will also exhibit how inspiration does not come only from researching past architectural spaces, but can come from multiple design mediums that can inspire more daring and expressive architectural designs.

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