Chris Bryant’s work explores the intersection of precision and spontaneity using the most fundamental of tools: graphite and charcoal. By stripping the distraction of color, Chris is forced to communicate through the language of values–the infinite spectrum between the stark white of the paper and the deep, metallic velvet of his medium. Working with graphite and charcoal is an exercise in the fundamental tension between control and chaos. While both are carbon-based, they offer entirely different philosophies of mark-making: one is a scalpel, the other a storm, creating the delicate tension of executing the precision of one, and controlling the power of the other. Ultimately Chris chooses to focus on form and light. The viewer is forced to confront the raw topography of the subject. Graphite provides the map, charcoal provides the journey, and the viewer provides their own perspective and meaning.
In Service of ARTists
Vital Spaces supports local, emerging & BIPOC artists and is inclusive of artists of all ages, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, and countries of origin. By providing affordable space, we provide venues for artists who might not otherwise know one another to come together in community and collaboration. We work to share this collaborative energy with the broader Santa Fe public through our programming.