Mary CHRISTIANSEN

Artist's Statement

My pre-occupation as an artist is with creating highly distilled, contemplative nuances of feeling in print.

I aim to compose images - drawn from nature and memory - of stark yet tactile forms, held momentarily out of balance; forms disappearing into immaterial shadows and configurations of form in spatial settings, undergoing transformation. I am fascinated by forms appearing like projections onto surfaces, fragile and immaterial articulations, punctuated by the interplay of light and shade. The delicate re-discovery of forms in space at distances defined by rhythm and structure, is interesting to me. My objective is to create a state of suspension of individual elements, caught in a complex of layers with deceptive simplicity.

The creation of these images is intuitive in nature. The creative process is ongoing, with every intuition, reflection and configuration, pre-figuring another possibility.

The printing process is an integral part of my working process. The separation and building up of layers, multiple overprinting, the use of inks of differing viscosities - these and other modifications inform the work as it evolves. The tactile qualities of print-making, the depth and richness of surface, are crucial.

Print-making is a wonderful medium which offers dialogue and transformation through its materials and techniques.

Residencies and Visiting Fellowships

2001/02 - Postgraduate Research Scholar, Det Jyske Kunstakademi, Ã…rhus
2001 - Graduate Fellow, The Northern Print Studio, North Shields, UK
2000/2001 - Artist in Residence, The Edinburgh Academy School, Edinburgh, UK

Solo Exhibitions

2005 - "open fields" Gallery Jacobsen, Billund, North Jutland, Denmark
2002 - "Northern Print Studio Fellowship Tour"; Northumbria University, Cumbria College of Art and Design, Cleveland College of Art and Design, Newcastle University, Sunderland University, UK
2001 - "Selected Works" The Edinburgh Academy School, Edinburgh, UK
2000 - "Landscapes of Solitude", I 2 Gallery, Edinburgh, UK

Selected Group Exhibitions

"Making a Mark" Northern Print Studio 2006, UK
"If all the world were paper and all the sea were Ink" Northern Print Studio 2005, UK
"Glasgow Art Fair 2004", Glasgow, UK
"25 years Anniversary Show" The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
"S=10X10" University Gallery, The University of Northumbria, Newcastle, UK
Royal Scottish Academy 173rd and 174th Annual Exhibitons 1999 & 2000, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK
Royal Scottish Academy 175th Annual Exhibition, City Arts Centre, 2001, Edinburgh, UK
National Print Exhibition 2001, Mall Galleries, London, UK
"Back to Black", I 2 Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
"On a Small Scale", Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
"New Generation" Compass Gallery, Glasgow, UK
"New Vision" I 2 Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
"Black and White", Edinburgh College of Art, UK
Society Of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibitions 1998, 1999, 2000 The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK
"Select" The Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews, UK
"19" The University of Edinburgh, UK

Prizes and Awards

2004 - HjÃ¸rring Fonden Capital Purchase Grant
2001 - Denmark Liberation Scholarship
2001 - Julian Trevelyan Award, National Print Award, UK
2001 - Graduate Fellowship, The Northern Print Studio, North Shields, UK
2000 - Andrew Grant Award
1999 - Andrew Grant Award

Critical Reviews and Press Coverage

1999 - "A Pressing Engagement, Contemporary Scottish Printmaking" Marcus Rees Roberts, Printmaking Today, Winter edition
1999 - "When the avant-garde haven't got an inkling" Duncan Macmillan, The Scotsman, June 11

Education

1998-2000 - MFA Printmaking, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
1993-1998 - MA (Hons) Fine Art, The University of Edinburgh, UK

Training

2002 - Techniques of Traditional and non Traditional Photogravure, HÃ¸jbjerg Photografiske VÃ¦rksted, Ã…rhus
2001 - Digital Video Editing and Light Projection techniques, Crysalis Arts, Yorkshire, UK
2000 - Traditional Darkroom techniques including uses of Liquid Light, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
2000 - Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro and Premiere, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
1999 - Safe Etching, Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop, Edinburgh, UK
1999 - Analogue Video Editing, Edinburgh Film and Video Studio, Edinburgh, UK
1998-99 - Glass Casting, mouldmaking, fusing & Slumping, Edinburgh College of Art
1998 - Papermaking (with Jacki Parry), Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK
1997 - Bookbinding (with Faith Shannon), Edinburgh College of Art
1993-98 - Specialist Training in Traditional and Non-Traditional Techniques of Printmaking ETCHING- Intaglio (on Copper, Zinc, Steel), Spitbiting, Sugarlift, Viscosity Printing, Photo-Etching, Embossing, LITHOGRAPHY- Stone, Plate (Zinc and Aluminium), Toner techniques, Traditional Tusche (water and oil based), Photographic Techniques, duotones, 4 Colour Separation (CMYK) and 3 Colour (RGB), Uses of Text, SCREENPRINTING, Waterbased, WOODCUT, COLLOGRAPHY

Work Experience

2005-6 - Established Takna Kunstgrafik, Lendum, North Jutland, to open December 2006. This will be North Jutlands first public access printmaking workshop. Will offer educational projects and workshops to the community including children, facilities for independent work and edition printing for professional artists.
2004-2005 - Full time Project Fundraiser and Administrator, Det Grafiske VÃ¦rksted HjÃ¸rring, Denmark. Solely responsible for establishing 'Pressing Spirits-Nordic Contemporary Printmaking 2005-6'; a collaborative print project and Exhibition Tour with 6 international Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Scottish artists. Included securing major public funds and establishing venue agreements at museums in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Scotland.
2002 - Guest Artist Speaker 'Ã…rhus kunstakademi' â€“ conducted tutorials with printmaking students.
2001 - Technician, Northern Print studio, North Shields, UK. Also ran workshops in plate lithography (zinc)
2000-2001 - Taught students at The Edinburgh Academy School, UK (11-18 years). Included Drawing and Printmaking, portfolio preparation.