Art Hound

I got to visit Mia Christopher when she was in New York last month and check out some of her new work in person. It’s a definitely departure for her: she’s letting go of her signature fine details and focusing on the natural affects of certain materials (latex paint, thick paper, glitter). I’m excited about the work, and I know Mia is too.

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New work by one of my longtime crushes, Mia Christopher.

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Funny-looking but lovable figures, beautiful patterns and colors, acrobatic cats and dogs, and gravity-defying, Justin Richel-like compositions… If you’re at all into contemporary folk art, Mia Christopher‘s work is pretty much a home run.

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Personally I have a big soft spot for primitive, self-taught art even when the artist isn’t actually self-taught (as is the case with Christopher who studied at four different art schools). This new generation of contemporary folk artists has taken major stylistic cues from early American folk artists who were almost always truly self-taught (see painting below by unidentified artist c. 1840). Even when it’s merely an adopted style, primitive art exudes an innocence and humbleness that makes it a fun and accessible genre of contemporary art.

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