Friday, December 12, 2014, Future Tenant had an opening reception for Christopher Boring's solo exhibition "Along the Path II". In the duration of this show, Visual Programming Manager Kate Lin interviewed the artist for an in-depth conversation with the artist and his work.
Christopher Boring. Extension. 2014
Could you give us a brief introduction of who you are and how you became an artist?
Christopher: Foremost I am an artist, but I am also a hard working, loyal, passionate, and fun loving man. I have grown up and lived among Pittsburgh nearly all my life. I am lucky enough to have family that always believed and supported me, and friends that always had my back.
I have always wanted to become an artist since I was a little kid. As I grew up I was always working on artwork. I have officially considered myself as an artist since graduating high school and have worked every year afterwards to make myself the best artist that I can.
Please give us a short description of concept to your showing pieces.
Christopher: My current series of artwork are done as traditional still lifes involving rocks, which connects me to themes of past, nature, and legacy.
How long have you been painting rocks? Can you tell us a little more about how and what inspired you to start this project?
Christopher: This rock series is 2 years old. As I was finishing my collegiate career I was looking for a new series I wanted to work on. I stumbled upon rocks I had collected growing up. So when I graduated college, I decided to do a few paintings with rocks as a formal exercise. After completing the first few, I began to remember the memories associated with those rocks and the series began to evolve into a deeper and more personal body of work.
What is your creative process? How long does it usually take you to complete a painting?
Christopher: My process consists of tons of pre-sketches and studies. Then I set up the still life and draw out the composition and placement of rocks. Lastly, I paint; making adjustments as I go. Usually the time needed to complete a painting depends on its size. It can take from 9 hours to as long as a month to finish a piece.
How does nature in general relate to you on a personal level (and your art)?
Christopher: Nature is a huge muse for me. I love spending time out in nature and I love gardening. The feeling of being outside brings me joy and I love studying the world around us. All my art is inspired from nature or organic objects.
Do you admire any other artists?
Christopher: I admire lots of artists and find beauty in lots of different work. Edward W. Redfield inspires my art the most, but other artists that inspire me are: Claude Monet, Andrew Wyeth, Sylvia Plimock Mangold, and my love Heather Heitzenrater.
Are you working on any new projects at the moment? And where can we follow your work? (Blog, website, twitter, Facebook etc)
Christopher: "Along the Path" is currently my only series, but there are a few other projects that I am interested in starting in the future. You can find my work on my official website and tumblr.
How did you know about Future Tenant?
Christopher: I have known about Future Tenant through my connections in Pittsburgh and through the gallery crawls I have attended.