By Stephan Reed
When Christine Ryan opens her newest show, Converging Boundaries, Sept. 5 at the Cultural Arts Center, she will do so with full disclosure of herself as an artist, with at least 150 different pieces on display.
“These are my most revealing works to date,” Ryan says. “I’m showing so many because, in the past, I held back some of the exploration and pieces that lead to the final. Now, you can see the evolution of the process and the accidents along the way.”
Ryan is a multimedia artist with five years of experience under her belt. Originally from Los Angeles, the artist specializes in shaping many different pieces into one cohesive unit.
“I work with photographs, found imagery, computer works, spray paint, impressions, tissue and paint and I combine them in layers,” she says. “I like it so much because I can capture a sense of human consciousness.”
Her works are a reflection of personal philosophies.
“We grab snippets of reality and make our own world,” she says. “We put everything in our lives around in different order. These works really express the complexity of what I’m trying to explore.”
Ryan has found a way to make her works “modular” – she can reconstruct certain pieces to make the final product new, depending on the surrounding environment.
“Each configuration makes the piece look different – even after it’s completed,” she says. “I will display one of my largest pieces, sized at six foot-by-six foot, but it can also be rearranged to three foot-by-12. I’m going to show my largest and smallest works, and everything in between.”
For the first time, Ryan has a curator assisting with the exhibit, which will be on display until Oct. 4. With the help of Eric Rausch, Ryan was able to focus more on her works and less on setting up the event.
“The biggest thing he does, besides obviously have faith in me, is act as someone I can talk to about my private motivations,” she says. “When he gave me feedback, he really understood me as a trusted advisor, but also as an outsider with feedback. I wouldn’t have this without him.”
The opening reception is at the Cultural Arts Center this Friday from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
For more information about the show and Christine Ryan, visit www.GuillotRyan.
“The work of Christine Guillot Ryan pulls the viewer into a world of her creation that is engaging and intriguing. As one member of the CAC jury panel put it “this is an example of work that speaks for itself.” To me, that means a viewer can easily approach the artwork because it is professionally executed and compositionally interesting, which grabs your attention but then the work pulls you in and allows you to form your own story or feelings from it. I’m very pleased to curate a solo show by Guillot Ryan at the Cultural Arts Center, her work is simply beautiful.” –Eric Rausch, Curator
September 2, 2014: Multimedia artist uses a modular strategy to create unique experiences with familiar works
