HILLYER SPEAKS WITH CHRISTINE PEARL

Hillyer Art Space will be exhibiting Christine Pearl’s amazing artwork in the upcoming November. We got to speak with her as she shared information about her artwork and personal life. Here is a sneak peek of the work that will be at opening during First Friday, November 7th, 6 to 9 pm!

Hillyer Art Space: You mentioned that you had a career background in design and construction, could you tell us more about how it helps you with creating photography works?

Christine Pearl: As a project manager communication and trust are key to balancing the expectations of the client and building a lasting relationship. Cultivating a relationship of trust with any subject of a photograph is no different. My career background gives me the patience to build a relationship with my subjects, wait for natural sequence of events to unfold and know when to make my move.
Hillyer Art Space: You said interaction with people had directed you on the path to photographing, could you talk about some conversations or issues alongside this way that impressed you most?
Christine Pearl: A photograph is a relationship and for me you can’t have such a relationship without people. I love portraits and photographs of people. I’m at ease talking to strangers on the street, exploring countries where I don’t speak the language and figuring out how to get from point A to B. I’ve always been fascinated by how or where people work and the process of collectively coming together to make something happen. My comfort zone with photography is the
Hillyer Art Space: We can tell from your Resume that your works have been displayed in different regions across the country even in Australia, could you talk about the different parts of your experience in those shows?
Christine Pearl: To date all the exhibitions I’ve been part of out of town, in the USA or abroad, are done via the internet. My biggest part of the experience, outside of submitting to the exhibition, is shipping the photographs. I attended Foto Fest in Houston this year which gave me the opportunity to meet jurors from some of the exhibitions I’ve been part of.
Hillyer Art Space: You were moved by the “charm of destruction” and present it in form of arts in your photos, could you tell us more about how you feel it and the transitional process during which you transformed it from your memory into your artworks?
Christine Pearl: I have an interest in American subcultures and I’m fascinated with how deeply rooted the automobile is in our memories and identity of being American. I’m attracted by the competition, love of destruction and it’s reflection of our disposable society. I’m drawn to this community’s creative ingenuity, shown in the ways they give new life to an old, all but abandoned icon of the American dream: the automobile. I use photography as a means to reflect on the thrill of the journey and the symbol of individual freedom the automobile promises each of us.
Hillyer Art Space: Do you intentionally choose black and white style to present this theme?
Christine Pearl: Selecting black and white for this subject matter was an aesthetic one to add to the drama of the event.
Hillyer Art Space: Have you already got an idea of the next step of your creativity? Or do you want to extend this series adding more new works to it?
Christine Pearl: I’ve been working on Last Car Running for 3 years (during the summer months) and consider it an ongoing seasonal project. My Facebook page Last Car Running has over 1,500 followers (primarily from the demolition derby community) and has been a great tool for engaging the community and giving something back to the subjects of the project. The next step for the project is to get a “behind the scenes” or intimate view of this subculture.
I have a couple other projects I work on during the winter months that focus on memory, self, aging and the elderly communities. I also exercise my creativity by posting an iPhone photo daily on Instagram @cyanpepper.