Chrissy Conant is a New York-based artist who is not afraid to go into sensitive territory. In fact, she thrives there. Her goal is “to bring out thoughts that people might be normally a bit hesitant to reveal.” She provokes discussion on everything from reproduction to terrorism.
We love the Chrissy Homeland Security® series, and are happy to announce that the Chrissy Homeland Security® Blanket is now available in our web store.
Chrissy Homeland Security® Blanket, 2004, 100% Virgin Wool, fits Queen and King
Do you have any particular methods for nourishing your creativity?
I watch TV. I do, and I admit it. I think I watch it in a different way from most people, particularly because my work has to do with pop culture. Ideas are fostered by being open, looking around, and trying to look at things you’ve looked at a million times in a fresh way.
I find it so important to go to museums and galleries, and I’ll talk to strangers on the subway. You never know where you’re going to get inspired. It’s a total mystery to me. I don’t know what sparked something like, “I’ll put myself in a jar!” I was having lunch with somebody. I know what I was doing. But I don’t know exactly when that little lighting bolt went off that said, “Yes! Make human caviar!”
Chrissy Caviar® – “Placed inside each jar there is, instead of fish roe, one of my eggs.”
Can you tell us about that project?
Chrissy Caviar®. I took fertility drugs, harvested my eggs, put them in jars, and created “human caviar”. It was about the human being as a brand, as a product. It was very important to me to execute it perfectly. I trademarked my DNA. I’m now a walking brand. The times I’ve been present at gallery openings, with this piece in particular, it’s brought forth a lot of emotion. Someone once told me that he contemplated the piece, got a hard on, and then had to go throw up.
I like how thoroughly you created the “brand”, right down to the the Chrissy Caviar® floaty pens. It’s a hilarious detail.
My work has a lot to do with my anxieties and fears, but I try to lighten it up, and not get too “woe is me”. It allows me to express some of my demons productively, in a way I think a lot of people can relate to.
Chrissy Caviar® – “Placed inside each jar there is, instead of fish roe, one of my eggs.”
Your body of work spans everything from painting to sculpture to design. Where did you start?
Mud pies and dandelions – those were the first materials I had available to me. I realized, “Hey, I can make cake out of dirt!” I used a rock as a base, and would carefully make the frosting. It was great. That was my first media. I slowly moved into wire, string, glue, popsicle sticks, more rocks, and then ultimately paint and clay.
Eventually I started to use more unusual materials, like parts of myself. I’m very interested in silicone rubber. My work is very personal, but also pulls from society and culture. My goal is to bring out thoughts that people might be normally a bit hesitant to reveal. To create a dialogue, or discussion, or argument before you go to lunch.
Chrissy Homeland Security® Choker Set, 2003, Plexiglas, Sterling Silver
Can you tell us about your Chrissy Homeland Security® pieces?
The idea was to utilize my fear after 9/11 in a productive way. The chokers came first. When you deconstruct the homeland security icon, and wear it as jewelry, it becomes something else. You can wear the orange piece around your neck, that says high, and people can interpret that in a few different ways.
The blankets came next, and then the wall piece. All in very different edition numbers. The necklaces are open, the blankets are an edition of 100, and the wall hanging is an edition of 6.
We love the blankets and are excited to have them as a new addition to our online store. Could you walk us through your process for developing them?
It was important for me to want this piece manufactured domestically, for obvious reasons. I created the design in Illustrator. Then, I met with a contact at Pendleton Mills, a very traditional company in Oregon. They weren’t sure they wanted to make that political statement…
I went in, and said, “I love my country, and this piece can be taken in a number of different ways. I’m not making a statement as much as I am raising a question. That is my main purpose.” They went ahead with the production of it.
The blankets are 100% wool, dry-cleanable, and 90″ x 90″. They fit a queen or king sized bed. Each blanket is signed and numbered on a customized utrasuede patch, which is sewn onto the corner, on the reverse side.
Chrissy Skin Rug, 2005. Silicone rubber, wood, glass, human hair, glass, magnets. (Images via Flickr and Saatchi Gallery Online)
One thing that really impresses me is the level of execution in all your projects.
Developing a piece is a process. This rug (Chrissy Skin Rug) took a year and a half to do. It took a lot of research, and trial and error. That’s a huge part of being an artist. You make something, and it’s not quite right, so you make it again. It’s closer, but it’s still not right. It’s interesting to go through all the variations: put something on, take something away, change this, tune that. The key is to make it communicate your idea. The interpretations can be different, but it has to communicate something, at least for a few seconds.
Teddy Chrissy (self-portrait), 2005, Stainless steel, polyester, acrylic fabric glue, blood (Image via Saatchi Gallery Online)
What advice do you have for other artists?
Realize that it’s not a race to get to the finish – it’s a lifelong calling. That’s the good news. You don’t have to be in a hurry. If you haven’t had a major retrospective at the Tate Modern by the time you’re 25, it’s OK. You’re not a lost cause.
You have to look for opportunity, and there is a fine line between being annoying and being persistent. That’s the part I don’t think anybody really likes. There is no perfect answer. Perseverance is a huge part of it, without being too caustic. The road to yes is lined with no’s.
Being that these are such uncertain times, the chances of monetary success are slim. It’s difficult. I don’t think making money should be the primary goal. If it is, that taints your purity. Then again, there is a real balance you have to strike between going for your career at all costs (never owning an iPod, nice clothes, a nice apartment, giving up on the idea of materialism, and maybe even a family) and the idea of being a responsible young adult. Finding a balance where you can support yourself, and continue to feed your soul and creativity, is a complex dance.
What has been your happiest moment?
I don’t know if I’ve had the happiest moment. I like to think it’s still to come! I have had some really satisfying moments, to think that all this effort has gotten me to a place where people are paying attention. Not that I don’t have my days or hours when I’m not happy… But I think we have the ability to change our path. If we find ourselves not doing so well one moment, we can choose to guide ourselves a different way. There is no reality – you make your own.