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Artist Exhibitions:
EXHIBITIONS
2008
Cafe Bianco, 39 Sutter St.,
San Francisco
'One Night Stand', Group Show,
ARTwork - San Francisco
'On Your Mark', Group Show,
ARTwork-SF, 49 Geary, San
Francisco
2007
The Fountain, Solo Show,
Financial District - San
Francisco, Aug 29 - Oct 31
'Transformations: Spirit Into
Form', Group Show, Polarity
Post Productions, ...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
Coming Soon!
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Artist Reviews:
Coming Soon!
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Collections:
Coming Soon!
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Commissions:
Coming Soon!
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Artist Statement for Chris Lawrence
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EOSCERES.COM ~ CHRIS LAWRENCE
I put my interest in creating art on the back burner for a couple of decades as I pursued my more analytical side and interest in science. I went on from there to pursue yet another interest, education. I have a doctorate in Educational Psychology from Purdue University and worked in the field of Science Education for many years with a passion for educational reform influenced by some lofty philosophical ideas about curriculum, contextual thinking, and students active in designing their own learning experiences.
Fate led me back to my artwork in the summer of 2002. While I was waiting for assignments on some consulting work to come through, my dog and I would venture in the neighborhood, especially behind a little shopping area and park. I could not resist scavenging for 'found objects' and recyclables. Well, from there I learned to make paper and integrated found objects in my pieces. When I realized my kitchen and living room were completely taken over with my finds, materials, drying paper pieces, and bowls of colored paper slurries, I decided this might not be sustainable for now.
About the same time, I bought my first digital camera opening up a whole new world, a freedom to take as many pictures as I wanted. Then, I became determined to learn Photoshop and manipulate photos. Night and day for a couple of months, I toiled, determined to gain minimal knowledge so I could use it more effortlessly. Since then, I continue to experiment with this medium. It has opened a whole new world for me in creating. Where I use to get frustrated with painting being somewhat painful as it was not a very spontaneous experience and I always overworked the pieces. Working in a digital medium allows me to be more spontaneous, I make hundreds of decisions when creating a piece, but each decision discarded or saved. Many times, I have different version of the piece I am working on. Some pieces have a large number of layers involved, I can simply click on a layer and make it invisible, bringing it back later if desired.
The process of creating my digital artwork is iterative. I do not preplan a piece from beginning to end. I let the work emerge as an interaction of the image or images and with the feeling or concept I get from them. Sometimes the concept changes because the image speaks differently. At other times, the image changes to better portray a concept or feeling.
I have had an immense struggle to come out of the closet so to speak. Digital art is not fully accepted as on a par with painting or other conventional mediums. Some of the early feedback I got indicated my work looked so much like a print of a painting that no one would know if I didn't tell them. When a young artist said to me recently that it did not have the same qualities as paint and canvas, I explained that art made with this medium could not really be compared to painting and is much more akin to photography. I tried so hard early on to make it so no one would see the photographic element in my work. Well, it worked, especially when the print is a Giclee or on certain types of paper. However, the first time I printed my work on photographic paper, I was amazed. I was even further amazed when I realized the depth it had with proper lighting. Recently, I have also made it apparent in some of my works that photography is the basis. I feel from here on out my digital work will evolve to yet some other realm, not knowing myself what that will be yet.
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