Anernerk (2015)
Anernerk is a series of paintings created by Chris King during a month long expedition to the North Pole as part of the Arctic Circle Residency Program in 2014. The title, Anernerk comes from the inuit word anerca and is often associated with spirtuality, utopian dreams, and higher forms of abstract thought. In inuit, the word “to make poetry” is the word “to breathe”; both derivatives of anerca – the soul, that which is eternal: the breath of life. King explains, "There was so much to discover as an artist in the rugged beauty of the Arctic. I found that when given the opportunity to be creative in the frozen desolate land of the sea and tundra, the conveniences of the modern world left far behind, life is reduced to the barest essentials, and among those essentials are art and poetry."
Anernerk is a series of paintings created by Chris King during a month long expedition to the North Pole as part of the Arctic Circle Residency Program in 2014. The title, Anernerk comes from the inuit word anerca and is often associated with spirtuality, utopian dreams, and higher forms of abstract thought. In inuit, the word “to make poetry” is the word “to breathe”; both derivatives of anerca – the soul, that which is eternal: the breath of life. King explains, "There was so much to discover as an artist in the rugged beauty of the Arctic. I found that when given the opportunity to be creative in the frozen desolate land of the sea and tundra, the conveniences of the modern world left far behind, life is reduced to the barest essentials, and among those essentials are art and poetry."
Make or Break (2014)
Chris King's 2014 installation, Make or Break, was installed at the main entrance of a Louisiana Arts Center. The piece combines the look of a carnival game with that of a state welcome kiosk. A series of mirror paintings, tee shirts, trucker hats, and other items are displayed within the "kiosk", which also serves as a pedestal for a plaster sculpture that includes a pelican, the Louisiana state bird. Use of a QR Code on these items links the various components in the installation to the Welcome to Louisiana (WTL) website, which he also created. There is a theme of miscommunication throughout the WTL Project, which is represented by scrambling data to create a glitch aesthetic on the website. The construction/deconstruction glitch style also references a political tension that exists in the world today. A climate caused by miscommunication and misunderstanding, leading to many of the world’s problems, and many people's personal problems as well.
Chris King's 2014 installation, Make or Break, was installed at the main entrance of a Louisiana Arts Center. The piece combines the look of a carnival game with that of a state welcome kiosk. A series of mirror paintings, tee shirts, trucker hats, and other items are displayed within the "kiosk", which also serves as a pedestal for a plaster sculpture that includes a pelican, the Louisiana state bird. Use of a QR Code on these items links the various components in the installation to the Welcome to Louisiana (WTL) website, which he also created. There is a theme of miscommunication throughout the WTL Project, which is represented by scrambling data to create a glitch aesthetic on the website. The construction/deconstruction glitch style also references a political tension that exists in the world today. A climate caused by miscommunication and misunderstanding, leading to many of the world’s problems, and many people's personal problems as well.
Culture Shock (2014 - 10)
Following his move from Los Angeles to rural Louisiana in 2008, King became highly influenced by his new surroundings. Much of his work through 2014 was inspired by the displacement he felt living and working in the deep south for the first time. As a teaching artist, he grew more aware of the struggling education system and limited career opportunities in the area. Images of passed out college students and drunk oil rig workers began to surface in his drawings and paintings. While evidence of, logging, hunting, fishing, and agricultural industries of Northwest Louisiana were used as sculptural elements in various installation projects.
Following his move from Los Angeles to rural Louisiana in 2008, King became highly influenced by his new surroundings. Much of his work through 2014 was inspired by the displacement he felt living and working in the deep south for the first time. As a teaching artist, he grew more aware of the struggling education system and limited career opportunities in the area. Images of passed out college students and drunk oil rig workers began to surface in his drawings and paintings. While evidence of, logging, hunting, fishing, and agricultural industries of Northwest Louisiana were used as sculptural elements in various installation projects.
