Interview

Apr 10

Christopher Tran

Christopher is an artist who loves tradition. He’s always been a fan of history and art history. He often employs techniques and styles reminiscent of art movements such as cubism, impressionism, rubber-hose era cartoons, newspaper cartoons, expressionism, primitivism, and abstract, a celebration of art itself. Christopher strongly believes in this idea of “Art Historism,” a term he’s created to describe a type of art that focuses on documenting history, emphasizing art history within traditional and digital visual mediums. Examples may include a contemporary artist’s take on Cubism, Surrealism, Impressionism, Romanticism, a combination of all of them, etc. Art Historism encourages not just the documentation of art history but also its expansion by innovating existing styles and combining styles to create unique and innovative artwork. Rigorous research on the artist’s historical interest is necessary to depict and understand the artwork they represent accurately. Art Historism encompasses many mediums and art forms, from drawing and painting to costume design and sculpting. He takes from historical periods such as the 1960s or the 19th century.

While depicting the past, Christopher uses the present to provide his unique artistic touch, paying respect to history while at the same time innovating and carving his unique path. He creates artworks that can be deeply personal or commentaries on modern society. In a day and age where the world is intertwined through electronic devices, and AI continues to rise rapidly in dominance, things can often feel overwhelming. His art reminds us of our past and where we came from, a simpler time when screens didn't dominate the world, and humanity was more grounded in reality.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A state within the United States that is a cultural clash between Hispanic, Native American, and Anglo culture. I've always loved this state despite its many flaws. The weather, people, food, history, and landmarks are breathtaking. The skies come in many flavors, from pink and purple cotton candy to green and orange tropical gradients. It's no wonder this State is often referred to as ‘The Land of Enchantment.’ However, what I love the most about this state is the art and architecture. Beautiful traditional Native American and Hispanic pottery, quilts, sculptures, and paintings. This state is rich in culture! New Mexico is a state that stays deeply rooted in its history, and it's this that has cultivated my love for art and history. My journey in the art world started in middle school, where I would draw comics. My dream then was to be a cartoonist, and I was inspired by the cartoons found in the daily paper by Charles M. Schulz and Jim Davis. I started to take art more seriously in high school, where I decided to explore the world of digital art, which opened up many possibilities. I explored many different types of art, from comics and graphic design to photo manipulation. My art style became incredibly diverse and inconsistent, which I wouldn't properly accept and embrace until well into college.
Despite this, one thing that stayed consistent was my passion for incorporating elements of history into my art, which would culminate into the art I create today. High school was tough, especially since I was stuck in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic near the end of my sophomore year at Sandia High. I had horrible acne, felt lonely, and was in constant physical and mental pain from both of those things. At the time, I didn't know I was suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, so I started weird rituals when it came to cleanliness. Art is what got me through these challenging times. I would draw and draw and draw to the point where art became my best friend. It was my therapy, and it was through this period that I started to realize the power of art, not just in entertainment but in healing. Nowadays, I work in Traditional mediums. There is something about traditional art that digital mediums can never capture, coupled with the fact that I've slowly become more disillusioned with technology and the internet. But I will always have a special place in my heart for digital art. It was the key to revealing my true self that gave me purpose.”

What inspires you?

“When I think about what inspires me, I think about the great artists that have come before me. Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Francisco Goya, Paul Cézanne, Van Gogh, James Ensor, Piet Mondrian, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, and Picasso. Artists like these have pushed the boundaries of art despite facing incredible backlash. While some were of questionable character, they were brave and confident when redefining what art is. These artists never kept pushing, to the point where some pushed themselves off a cliff into a pit of rejection and financial turmoil. However, no financial riches could compare to the riches of revolutionizing art. These are the ones that inspire me; I, alongside my passionate contemporaries, am the next one to carry the torch given by our predecessors, to bring art to new frontiers, and to make the world a better and more beautiful place. My art serves as a celebration of art and its fascinating history by paying homage to the greats while simultaneously exploring my unique artistic style. Art doesn't only serve as a way of communication; it also serves as a way to heal others by encouraging people to contemplate and reflect upon themselves and the world. This is why I want to become a high school art teacher: to teach people the power of art in healing broken hearts. I know high schoolers go through a very rough time; I know this because I was once a high schooler, and it was art that gave me hope in a world that I felt didn't want me.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“With my art, I want people to remember where we came from and how far we've come as a species. I want to remind people of a time when the world was more straightforward and less reliant on technology. In the modern day, things can seem quite unusual. We have all these social media sites, yet people feel lonely now more than ever; we create robots and AI that stir fear within the population, not because of a doomsday Sci-fi AI takeover, but a less thrilling but still depressing job takeover; we stir divisions through false information and spread that information at a rapid-fire pace throughout the world like machine gun fire. We should feel more connected, but we've never felt so far apart. Traditional architecture that is unique to each culture has been replaced with the same tired glass pillar designs in almost every nation; art is being hijacked by AI to make soulless, corporate products devoid of meaning; everything is becoming a different shade of white and grey with bits of color here and there. All of this with the beautiful planet that we live on, its many gifts and wonders, being exploited by the greed of humanity and fossil fuel industries. That is why my art focuses on the history and traditional cultures. I want a return to the ordinary and simple. I acknowledge that I am looking at the past with rose-tinted glasses. The past certainly had more tragedies than today, but I truly see the beauty in humanity through learning about history and traditional cultures. I want to encourage people to innovate while keeping the right traditions with us and to make the world a diverse and exciting place to explore. I want to remind people about the different faces of humanity and what all those faces can share about our unique place in time and space.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work can be described as inconsistent and experimental while also paying respects to the past. Its inconsistency is its biggest strong suit, as I can delve into multiple periods and adapt my style to explore my idea of what I call ‘Art Historism,’ on my artist statements page found on my website, I define the term as a type of art that focuses on documenting history, emphasizing art history within traditional and digital visual mediums. Examples may include a contemporary artist’s take on Cubism, Surrealism, Impressionism, Romanticism, a combination of all of them, etc. Art Historism encourages not just the documentation of art history but also its expansion by innovating existing styles and combining styles to create unique and innovative artwork." It combines the rigorous research found within the field of art history and the technical skill and creativity found within art creation. I often put a contemporary spin on these artistic practices by incorporating contemporary issues within the art pieces. It is vital to pay homage to the past and carve out one's unique artistic identity with Art Historism.”

Which artists influence you most?

“The artists who influence me the most are those I am studying in depth. These artists would be Picasso, Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Francisco Goya, Piet Mondrian, James Ensor, and Andy Warhol. I imagine this list is subject to change as I learn about different artists in depth and discover their philosophies, personal lives, and innovations. I am currently anticipating learning more about Keith Haring and Caravaggio soon. I admire these artists and their unending commitment to their craft. However, I can also acknowledge that some of them weren't the best people, morally speaking (Pablo Picasso and Paul Gauguin immediately came to mind). Nevertheless, this doesn't take away from their contributions to art, not at all. In fact, in the case of artists such as Picasso, his questionable character influences his artwork quite heavily. I like to view the artists I admire from all angles, the good and the bad, as they are people, not characters, and it's important not to place individuals, even ones of great accomplishment, above oneself. This is something that is becoming increasingly problematic in the 21st Century, with parasocial relationships and celebrity worship culture becoming more extreme and common.”

What is your creative process like?

“Unpredictable and reckless, with little regard for making a picture that completely matches the one in my head, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Every new art piece I make feels like an adventure. One that encourages self-discovery, thinking outside the box, compromise, and curiosity. I use each artwork as an excuse to explore different mediums. One, I may combine oil painting with collage; on another day, I may decide to work purely in pencil and charcoal; and on another, I may even try digital again. There are many different ways to express myself, and I will try my best to explore all of them. Honestly, the process takes up the bulk of my enjoyment in art, not to say the result is not enjoyable, far from it. The result is the award, the delicious dessert after the delicious dinner.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“An artist's role in society is to encourage people to reflect on themselves and the world around them. They can instill social change, raise awareness of complex issues, and reveal truths that science cannot. However, they also must encourage their audience to think and to show rather than tell. To innovate on existing traditions and push the boundaries of art into new frontiers not yet explored. If there's anything I've learned from art history, it is that artworks are like a pendulum; with every movement, there is a counter-movement, and I believe that the contemporary artists today, with abstraction, minimalism, performance art, and deconstruction of traditional artistic practices being the current fad, there will be a counter-movement that goes back to traditional roots, in an extreme pushback, perhaps it'll go as far back as the renaissance.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“The art exhibitions set up by the college that I am currently attending, the University of New Mexico, consistently produce interesting exhibitions that are rigorous in research and incredibly creative in execution. They often showcase art from historical periods that I had no idea existed.”