Beauty in the Dark
October 31, 2018
Uncategorized
Happy Halloween, my fellow revelers! This holiday, which has its roots in both the fear of death but also the remembrance of loved ones who have gone on before us, gives us an opportunity to face that inherently scary part of this cycle of life with celebration and even laughter. This day has long been one of remembrance and reflection for me, along with the celebrations, having read, as a teen, about the many cultural traditions that celebrate our passing as a natural part of life giving our time here purpose and preciousness. The way these traditions embrace the full cycle of life just made so much sense to me.
So today (and the next couple of days that encompass the Christian All Souls Day, Gaelic Samhain, Mexican Day of the Dead, and many other related celebratory traditions) we get to recognize the role that death and the dead have in our lives and do so with merriment and even beauty. To aid in the view of the beautiful side of these traditions, I’d like to introduce you to this incredible series of sculptures by the artist Krisztianna, inspired by the four seasons and the cycle of nature.
This piece is Autumn, of course, which is a time of final harvesting and of blooming and changing colors as nature prepares for winter. Krisztianna captures the richness of the season with a nod to the Day of the Dead and its celebratory themes in a riot of color and texture. Polymer is but one of the materials used in her sculptures. This is a serious mix of media. With resin cast elements, resin clay detailing, wood, acrylic paint, stainless steel wire, and foam, as well as synthetic and dried flowers, it’s a celebration of artistic materials as well as the season and this day.
You can see more of her fabulous wall pieces on her website, in her shop and on Instagram.
Have a happy and safe holiday!
Long Division
January 28, 2015
Inspirational Art
One of the reasons I wanted to do this theme this week was so I could also share some of Christine K. Harris’s latest work. Her pieces are almost wholly conceptual, relaying personal, societal and universal emotions and ideas. The richness of her pieces are the primary draw, along with the clear and ubiquitous nature of so much of her symbolism.
I think this may be my favorite piece of hers to date. I say “I think” because I’m not done examining its many sides, imagery, symbolism and just beautiful application of rhythmic motifs. Every side — inside, outside, front, sides, back — is different and wholly intriguing. Most of Christine’s work is a combination of polymer, two-part sculptable epoxy and other materials as needed. But this box or sculpture or altar, or whatever you want to take it as, moves far beyond the definition of its materials, as does most of her work.
The piece is called Long Division and starts at the top with what I am sure are mirrored twins, maybe even Siamese twins. Within and without, there are Christine’s iconic birds, skulls, skeletons and other symbols of birth, freedom and death that appear in so much of her work. This piece feels more joyous than a lot of her past work though, even with the death symbology; death is so much a part of the cycle of life we are in. I have so many ideas about what might be going on here, but art is a personal interpretive experience when it really comes down to it so I will leave it to you to take from it what speaks to you. As Christine says on her home page, “As important as it is for me to use my art to make sense of the world, it is just as important that viewers take their own experience from my work …”
For a full view of this piece, you will want to go to Christine’s page with its many detail shots. But don’t hesitate to wander further about her site and find other concepts and connections for yourself. If you are curious about her use of symbolism and how you might work this kind of thing into your own work, don’t miss the beautiful article she wrote for our Spring 2013 issue still available in both print and digital.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Happy Halloween, my fellow revelers! This holiday, which has its roots in both the fear of death but also the remembrance of loved ones who have gone on before us, gives us an opportunity to face that inherently scary part of this cycle of life with celebration and even laughter. This day has long been one of remembrance and reflection for me, along with the celebrations, having read, as a teen, about the many cultural traditions that celebrate our passing as a natural part of life giving our time here purpose and preciousness. The way these traditions embrace the full cycle of life just made so much sense to me.
So today (and the next couple of days that encompass the Christian All Souls Day, Gaelic Samhain, Mexican Day of the Dead, and many other related celebratory traditions) we get to recognize the role that death and the dead have in our lives and do so with merriment and even beauty. To aid in the view of the beautiful side of these traditions, I’d like to introduce you to this incredible series of sculptures by the artist Krisztianna, inspired by the four seasons and the cycle of nature.
This piece is Autumn, of course, which is a time of final harvesting and of blooming and changing colors as nature prepares for winter. Krisztianna captures the richness of the season with a nod to the Day of the Dead and its celebratory themes in a riot of color and texture. Polymer is but one of the materials used in her sculptures. This is a serious mix of media. With resin cast elements, resin clay detailing, wood, acrylic paint, stainless steel wire, and foam, as well as synthetic and dried flowers, it’s a celebration of artistic materials as well as the season and this day.
You can see more of her fabulous wall pieces on her website, in her shop and on Instagram.
Have a happy and safe holiday!
Read MoreOne of the reasons I wanted to do this theme this week was so I could also share some of Christine K. Harris’s latest work. Her pieces are almost wholly conceptual, relaying personal, societal and universal emotions and ideas. The richness of her pieces are the primary draw, along with the clear and ubiquitous nature of so much of her symbolism.
I think this may be my favorite piece of hers to date. I say “I think” because I’m not done examining its many sides, imagery, symbolism and just beautiful application of rhythmic motifs. Every side — inside, outside, front, sides, back — is different and wholly intriguing. Most of Christine’s work is a combination of polymer, two-part sculptable epoxy and other materials as needed. But this box or sculpture or altar, or whatever you want to take it as, moves far beyond the definition of its materials, as does most of her work.
The piece is called Long Division and starts at the top with what I am sure are mirrored twins, maybe even Siamese twins. Within and without, there are Christine’s iconic birds, skulls, skeletons and other symbols of birth, freedom and death that appear in so much of her work. This piece feels more joyous than a lot of her past work though, even with the death symbology; death is so much a part of the cycle of life we are in. I have so many ideas about what might be going on here, but art is a personal interpretive experience when it really comes down to it so I will leave it to you to take from it what speaks to you. As Christine says on her home page, “As important as it is for me to use my art to make sense of the world, it is just as important that viewers take their own experience from my work …”
For a full view of this piece, you will want to go to Christine’s page with its many detail shots. But don’t hesitate to wander further about her site and find other concepts and connections for yourself. If you are curious about her use of symbolism and how you might work this kind of thing into your own work, don’t miss the beautiful article she wrote for our Spring 2013 issue still available in both print and digital.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
