Christie Blizard (MFA)
Assistant Professor in Painting
In order to explain my work to you the best, I need to separate it into two layers. The first layer is the layer of production. This is very much based on the idea that a point of view can get outside of itself. This idea can also be situated in the context of neti, neti, “not this, not that,” the Upanishad expression for the sacred. I have a love of learning and often find myself very eagerly moving towards a variety of forms, including drawing, painting, poetry, violin performance, and video, all of which comprise a larger desire for expansion. Much of these investigations revolve around the notion of play and curiosity, and I do my best to become as well acquainted as possible with the given structure in which I work.The second layer is the layer of interaction. I am very interested in blurring the lines between public and private life and integrating art into the every day. I am currently involved in a project in which I post my work in various places to give away to anyone who wants it. This will be catalogued through a website that I am building to encourage viewer comments and discussions. I give spontaneous violin street performances as well as use road signs and pages of poetry stapled to phone polls as other immediate means of connection. Conversely, when I am in a more conventional art venue, I am interested in the potential intimacy of that space through the dislocation of the media. I place work on the floor, play the violin alongside paintings, give away free t-shirts with poetry written on them, all in the attempt to reframe my work and connect with the viewers in different ways. Click here for CV.