I first became acquainted with (Miss) Christine Wu’s work when I was contacted by Daniel Rolnik about his new project with Ryan McIntosh, Intellectual Property Prints (IPP). IPP is a Los Angeles-based fine art print publisher that works with established and emerging artists to produce and sell limited edition screen prints.
Christine is someone that they’ve worked with, and I fell in love with her print, Bliss 2013. I got in contact with her to talk about her work, process, and the LA art scene.
Brown Paper Bag: How did you get involved making the print for Intellectual Property Prints?
Christine Wu: I was contacted by Ryan who asked me whether or not I would be interested in doing a print with them. I knew both Daniel and Ryan before this project. Daniel interviewed me for Hi-Fructose, and I met Ryan through Daniel at a pizza party that Daniel threw at Ryan’s loft.
BPB: Describe a bit of the print making process. How is this different from your usual drawing and painting? What did you find rewarding or difficult?
CW: The print making process was silk screen prints. It’s quite different from painting and drawing because you can easily reproduce the image, rather than have a single image. It is quite rewarding to be able to easily create multiple images that still have a handmade flair.
BPB: Give us a little bit of your background. You draw and paint, and a lot of your work captures people that are in flux and vulnerable in their self discovery. Where does that interest come from?
CW: I am most interested in creating a sense breath in my images. I want the make a place that is nostalgic, intimate, raw, and honest. There is something intangible that I’m trying to portray, that I feel can only be expressed through imagery, rather than worlds, a visceral, transient feeling. Something remembered about an intense emotional attachment, very much feeling like you’re growing, but not simply through age. Discovering new things about ourselves that surprise, shock and excite. I strive to depict this growth in a bittersweet way, because it’s like death and rebirth, you must lose something to gain.
BPB: How long have you been Los Angeles? How would you describe the art scene to an outsider (like me!)?
CW: I’ve lived in Los Angeles all my life and would simply say that the art scene is incredibly eclectic. There are institutions of high art and there are are plenty of people with blankets on the Venice Beach boardwalk selling their work. There are no boundaries and there is a sense of the “wild west,” where anything goes, and anyone has a chance. As with all avenues of art, there is not set way to go about breaking into the art scene.
BPB: This project was not just about your print, but was a collaboration with Ryan McIntosh and Daniel Rolnik. Do you often collaborate? If not, what did you think of it?
CW: I’ve never collaborated with Ryan or Daniel before, but the process was throughly enjoyable and I hope we will do it again in the future.
