Wassaic, New York
100 West 3rd Floor Studio
Christian’s staggering paintings follow the logic of the remix, spinning traditions of abstraction and realism into joyous compositions that teem with color and vitality. Christian draws from backgrounds in graphic design and sculpture, his Mexican heritage, and his love of ‘70s music to create paintings that capture the dynamic interactions of living organisms, objects and histories, from which reality is constructed.
Animals are rendered with breathtaking realism. Traditionally drawn to birds for their significance in Pre-Columbian mythology, the artist expands his bestiary to include the snakes and amphibians that also appear as wise administrators of the ecological life force. In contrast, humans are reified, appearing only as abstract totems and archeological artifacts against a complex backdrop that weaves architectural elements—Mayan relief carvings and kitchen linoleum—among meandering rainbows of color.
Like a poem, or a symphony, Christian’s process of building a canvas unfolds in stages. Loose brushwork characterizes the initial poetic stage of intuitive response during which the artist spends up to five days listening to music and layering the canvas with these transposed rhythms. This is followed by two weeks of eight-hour days of meticulous, almost sculptural painting with tiny brushes to render the realistic elements within his works.
Residency Focus
Christian prepares for an upcoming solo show at Mindy Solomon Gallery in Miami. The exhibition will feature three 11 x 14 and seven 16 x 20 inch acrylic paintings, three of which were completed in the 2nd-Floor Studio.
