In my work I consider the chaotic nature of the mind; that experience where images are flashing rapidly and hard to make sense of, especially when you’re mentally unstable. I paint small and fast and on a whim - the less planning, the better. To generate lots of images, I’m inspired by my own coping mechanisms. Those include: writing notes to myself, TV shows, and humor; all of which can be easily identified in my body of work. Humor is at the forefront of it all. I like dark, sarcastic, nihilistic humor. I think it’s a relatable style of humor because it’s become the vehicle for young people to get to this place where we’ve realized we’re all experiencing very similar forms of anxiety and depression and now we can bond over it. So, while I would consider my work deeply personal and stemming from my own mental state, I want my work to be something that every viewer can look at, and find at least one image where they think, “ha, yeah, I get it.”

Bio:

Marie Christine is a painter currently working in Philadelphia, PA. She works in acrylic on small scale wood blocks. In her work she aims to use her own experiences in mental illness to make work that illustrates escapism and humor as coping mechanisms. She uses source material from TV shows, pop culture, advertisements, as well as her own photographic sources. Past exhibitions include Controlled Chaos, Painting Gallery, University of the Arts, October 2019, and Senior Thesis in Progress, Arronson Gallery, University of the Arts, November 2019. Marie will be receiving her BFA from The University of the Arts in May 2020.