CHRIS BRIZZARD

“To combine a sense of realism with a sense of the abstract.”

BIOGRAPHY

Chris Brizzard started his formal training in drawing when he moved back to Texas in 2013 and began studying with Michael Mentler at The Society of Figurative Arts in Dallas, Texas. From 2014 to 2017, he studied drawing and painting at Studio Incamminati under instructors trained by Nelson Shanks. He now teaches drawing and painting at The Oklahoma Academy of Classical Art and Oklahoma Contemporary. Influences include Dan Thompson, Darren Kingsley, Alex Kanevsky and Carolyn Anderson, among others.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

It's an age-old human desire: the desire to create something.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

The Russian painters, Carolyn Anderson, Nelson Shanks, Dan Thompson, Darren Kingsley, Alex Kanevsky.

How have you developed your artist career?

I studied figure drawing with a mentor in Dallas, TX for two years, then studied drawing and painting three years at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia and have been teaching drawing and painting ever since. I occasionally enter shows.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

Intention can get in the way of something simple and direct, so I try to avoid that.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

Nelson Shanks, who was the founder of the school where I studied painting (Studio Incamminati) and a phenomenal portrait painter, had painted Susan McCalmon'ts portrait back in the 80's. When I moved to Oklahoma a couple of years ago, Susan took a painting class I was teaching, and that's when I found out about that connection. She was just starting her gallery at the time and I became a part of it.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

The vision of Susan and the mix of artists she has gathered together.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am primarily interested in the intersection of representation and abstraction. The tension that occurs when these two forces meet provides and endless source of inspiration. Painting is an infinite game and one needs to have a sense of direction to try and find their way. An understanding of what has been done before is crucial.

I have found it is important to find ways to take chances with your work and keep pushing yourself somehow; predictability soon becomes boring in this arena. One must charge off into the bush at times and you may become lost, but you also may find something.

The skills and craft of painting are very important, but at the end of the day, if the work is not interesting to you in some way, it is time to do something radical or move on to the next piece. Don’t expect things to always work out; allow yourself to fail and then try again.