The Penitent

Christine Weir (PiV ‘95)

$4,000.00

graphite on clay panel
24 x 36 inches
2017
Unframed

50% of proceeds benefit the Pratt in Venice Scholarship Fund.

These are drawings from my Qualia series. A philosophical term, qualia, relates to our subjective interpretations of the world around us. It’s how we perceive seeing the color red, or feeling pain, or hearing the sound of someone’s voice. Each drawing is a visual representation of how I experience certain moments in time as if they are encapsulated in a form within the space of consciousness.

My process begins with Google Earth as source material. The locations are irrelevant, instead I look for places with formations that speak to an idea I wish to communicate. I will use this place as a guide to create something else - a disconnected, otherworldly object. The circles loosely represent the idea of light, but not necessarily physical light. I find that the circles, along with the fine lines within the background, add balance to the compositions. They create a satisfying push and pull between the organic and the rigid. On a purely visual basis, I am looking to create texture and tactility that is most often found in paintings. By using a wide range of graphite pencils I am able to create a unique, dimensional quality on the flat surface of the clay board support.

In 2006 I quit my job as an art appraiser at Bonhams and Butterfields Auctioneers to stay at home with my newborn son. The many years of viewing and handling a vast and diverse amount of artwork that cycled through the auction house transformed how I thought about creating. Feeling rejuvenated and inspired by motherhood, my long hiatus from drawing came to an end. I have been actively making and exhibiting my work ever since. Having been educated at Kutztown University of PA (BFA - Drawing) and Pratt Institute (MS Art History) I have been able to combine my love of both theory and practice.

While these drawings do not specifically relate to my time spent in Venice, participating in the Pratt in Venice program left an indelible mark on me. I will be forever grateful for the education I received at Pratt and for the unique experience of getting to know, and really understanding, the history, the art, and the architecture of such a special city. I also cherish the memories I have of getting to know the amazing faculty on a personal level. It’s been twenty-five years since I attended the program. I can look back and see how it played a role in who I am today and how I experience the world.

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