Kyle Chaput
Associate Professor of Art
Kyle Chaput was born and raised in Salina, Kansas which lies in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains. After obtaining a BFA in Printmaking and Drawing from Fort Hays State University in western Kansas, Kyle ventured south for his MFA at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. It was there that Kyle had the rare opportunity to study and teach Color Theory with Bruno Andrade, who was taught the Albers’ tradition and methods in graduate school by two of Josef Albers’ students: Vincent Castagnacci and Si Sillman. This unique opportunity brought about a newfound appreciation for the importance of the elements of art and their role throughout the creative process.
Over the past fifteen years Chaput has been included in over seventy juried and invitational exhibitions, served as an art juror in four states and has been a contract printer in a number of settings. His prints, which have earned several awards and honors, are included in numerous public and privately-owned collections.
MFA, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
BFA, Fort Hays State University
Artist Statement
My work is an attempt to reveal internal struggles with a chronic illness while referencing chaotic, often conflicting aspects of ‘border’ life. These aberrant sites and abandoned still lives reflect a broken condition within an alienated community, the Rio Grande Valley.
The manifestations of these vessels tend to pierce through subconscious thoughts, forcing me to continually question my sense of place and inner stability.