Oil on canvas

Contemporary figurative painting by Chicago-based artist Ryan Travis Christian. This piece is included in a 2023 group exhibition, "Friend of a Friend," curated by Vincent Di Nguyen at Reeves Art and Design.

Ryan Travis Christian’s 1990’s suburban Chicago upbringing offered up absurd experiences which he uses as fuel for the surreal personal narratives in his pop-culture-influenced artwork. Impacted by Chicago-style figuration, Christian focuses on the paradoxical relationship between childish cartoons and ominous messages, musing on the technological and material obsolescence of his inspiration. Vintage political cartoons and hand-drawn animation influence Christian’s detailed vignettes - including works by Ub Iwerks, Max Fleischer and the Hairy Who. Christian comes to terms with his sources’ sordid pasts while embracing their richness and flavor. He exposes the untidy lifestyle of contemporary humanity through a vast array of topics and imagery: the economy, the environment, gender, class, hope, and doubt are contemplated alongside drugs, heavy petting, alcohol, violence, depression, death, and the afterlife. Christian’s recent work has expanded to comment on current nationwide and worldwide crises; historical precedents become mirrors reflecting the common concerns of the present. Ryan Travis Christian’s solo shows include Over the Influence in Hong Kong (2020); Ross+Kramer Gallery in New York (2019); Arsham/Fieg Gallery in New York (2019); Richard Heller Gallery in Santa Monica (2018); and the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, NC (2015). He is represented by Western Exhibitions in Chicago and lives and works in the Chicagoland area.

H 48 in x W 60 in x D 1.63 in