*Right: Littlest, charcoal and pastel on paper, 43" x 22", 2023Left: Missing Bicycle, charcoal on paper, 51" x 22", 2023.*

CHRIS CINQUE

A series of larger-than-life charcoal drawings that tell the story of a girl’s escape from the chaos of sexual trauma into a profound forgetfulness as she makes her way to a resolute adulthood. Her beloved older brother accompanies her partway on this journey

Exhibition Dates:

May 11 - June 17, 2023

Opening Reception

Saturday, May 13, 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Artist's Talk
Thursday, June 1, 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Artist's Statement

*The Suitcase, charcoal on paper, 68" x 28", 2022*

As in much of her work in which she uses the ephemera of everyday life, Chris based these large charcoal drawings on old family photographs from the 1950s and 60s. In them, she captures the isolation and resilience of a damaged but unbroken child making her way decisively towards adulthood. "My work has always been driven by a desire to create a safe place for myself and for those who consider themselves outsiders. We live in a world of cataclysm and upheaval, not by accident but as a result of the crushing limitations and controls set by centuries of patriarchal misgovernance. Can we make a better place that includes all of us? For me that is one of the tasks of art: to create a world where everyone can breathe and live free. Through our art, we can help make a world where differences flourish and love obliterates hate."

Artist's Biography

Chris has had careers as a theater artist (writer, director, performer), ELL teacher, and visual artist. She toured her one-woman trilogy of plays, "Growing Up Queer in America", throughout the US from 1985 to 1996. As a teacher, she was deeply engaged with and influenced by her students. Both of these careers have had a profound effect on her life as a visual artist. Chris has received grants from the Bush and Jerome Foundations, as well as the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her work has been exhibited by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, ARC Gallery in Chicago, Hopkins Center for the Arts, as well as in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Oregon and throughout Minnesota. She will be showing a large body of her work at the Phipps Center for the Arts in the Fall. Chris has been a member of Form+Content since 2020. This is her second solo exhibition at the gallery. More of her work can be seen at: www.chriscinque.com and www.formandcontent.org. She can also be reached at chriscnq@gmail.com

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 12:00 – 6:00 pm

/each-one