Beatrix Christ originally started to work artistically with book origami (her so-called “flying books”), some of which she created with book pages for the sake of object art, and some with very specific books and content that gave a deeper meaning.
Then - a radical change that began with a miniature garden gnome.
The irrepressible joy and the resulting passion to create small worlds, their so-called "snippets". Far away from the classic world of model making, Beatrix Christ succeeds in capturing special moments, moods and landscapes from a blazing and exuberant fantasy. Objects in motion - like cars or ships - stand strangely still. In between sometimes animals that either blend harmoniously into the landscape or appear surprisingly.
Her people are frozen, in their smallness perfectly placed images of life or special situations, but through the mere hint of the tiny facial features open to multiple interpretations. You are literally forced to move very close, to grasp every detail, only to then have to realize that your own imagination still has a wide space for possible interpretation (s). Her great fascination, however, is the element water. She succeeds in captivating the amazed observer with unique color moods and the apparent impression of endless depth. Again and again she stages bodies of water as the dramaturgical climax of her landscape compositions, the quiet perfection of which seduces a careful touch.
The highlight of their compositions, however, is the perfect harmony between the proverbial frame of their compositions, which surrounds the pearl like a shell: first there are original cigar boxes, then make-up bags, glass vases, old and specially shaped drinking glasses, up to simple or even opulent powder compacts Don't just let their worlds lie there for the viewer, but clearly delimit and define their small perfection. All the vessels used are carefully selected and repeatedly challenge the artist with her time-consuming search.
Big moments in small worlds.
Behind it stands an observing artist who prefers to let her “snippets” speak than to appear herself. “I just want my scenes to touch the viewer.” The artist's critical eye goes a hundred times over the finished work before she recognizes it as really “finished”. Down to the very last detail.
Beatrix Christ lives and works in Mödling, near Vienna.
All “snippets” are hand-made and numbered unique items - either based on the ideas of Beatrix Christ or special commissioned work for certain occasions, as small, real treasures of very personal moments.
Alex Vogel, October 2020
Werkbeispiele von Beatrix Christ:
