Christina Dietz

Artist Statement

I place meaning in my work through the juxtaposition of something normal and something unexpected. I like to use unlikely pairings to create a response in the viewer and often pair the beautiful with something grotesque or shocking. Wood and metal inside an orange peel, a meat face at a beautiful dining table, and a casual personal funeral all contain an element of shock and humor. These surprising couplings catch the viewer off guard and force them to reconsider appropriate contexts of objects. With my meat face dinner, the cannibalistic meal served so nonchalantly referenced injustices overlooked in society. I wanted the viewer to wonder why no one was questioning this out of the ordinary dinner. Often my work contains an element of beauty but a closer look reveals a darker side. The birdlike tar paper dress when approached shows rough, expressive stitching. The normal funeral scenario for my final project is challenged when the viewer realizes I will be playing all of the parts performing the ceremony. In my pieces, I address feelings of vulnerability and being out of control. I use my own anxiety and personal experiences to fuel my work but the meaning portrayed often changes as it comes into fruition. I find it interesting to expose feelings we prefer not to show the world. With the popularity of social sites like face book and twitter, the image one puts out to the world is controlled and refined. This image is a false projection of the individual. In reality and behind closed doors, individuals struggle and face their imperfection. We put our best self on display but the dark complexity that we try to hide is what really fascinates me.