Christian Fagerlund
Artist Bio
Christian Fagerlund received his BA from the University of California-Santa Barbara, and his MFA from the New York Academy of Art. He was chosen for the NYAA Post-Graduate Fellowship in 2004. He has been selected for multiple artist residencies in Saint Barths and Balleroy, France. His work has been featured in New American Paintings, The Blue Review, American Art Collector, Art Aesthetics Magazine BuzzFeedNews, and Rizzoli's "The Figure: Contemporary Perspectives.” Fagerlund's work has been exhibited regionally, nationally, and internationally, with solo and group shows in New York, California, Texas, Oklahoma, and the French West Indies. Fagerlund currently lives, works, and teaches in Texas.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am driven by the subtleties that rise when things settle, whether in a landscape, an interior space, a human body or face, or the inert objects around me. A great deal happens in these moments of stillness where time seemingly expands, self-awareness gives way to a more natural state of contemplation, and initial impressions are followed by waves of illumination. I capture the subtleties of light, color, form, expression, and mood that are born out of this settling. In my figurative work, I am first and foremost attracted to form—the ways in which light interacts with, enhances, and plays against it. Light is an equal participant: a clear and assertive entity. A love for this relationship between light and form, a strong sense of design/composition, and an understanding of the power of color, are at the core of my process. And throughout, each element, from the mole on a subject’s arm to the relationship between two adjacent colors, is given vigorous attention. Scale is also an important aspect of my work; I tend to work either very small or very large. The intentional shift away from a "normal" scale dramatically affects the content and experience of a piece. My small-scale figure paintings concentrate subject, light, and color to create an intimate encounter for the individual viewer. My large-scale pieces, which project themselves outwardly, allow viewers to wholly take them in from a distance, or to become absorbed by their materials and marks up close. Regardless of my subject matter or approach, I purge the frivolous in order to create a distilled and sense-based interpretation of my subject: one that is honest, nuanced, and considered.
