Christine Cannon was born and raised in LaGrange, Georgia. She attended Columbus State University where she earned a BFA in Studio Art. Later, she attended the University of South Carolina where she earned an MFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Painting. She teaches a number of traditional studio courses as well as digital media at Chattahoochee Valley Community College, where she also serves as the Chair of the Fine Arts and Social Science Department.
A child of the early eighties, her first artistic influences were those of Saturday morning cartoons and comics books. These influences still carry through her work. She grew up loving pop culture, science fiction, and fantasy books and films.
Spare Parts
Over a decade ago I started a long series of paintings and drawings featuring robots. Over time my work split into two separate bodies that follow aspects of the same concept. These robots are a vehicle for the exploration of my own existential needs and desires. I am fascinated by the idea of artificial intelligence, and while it remains in the realm of science fiction, it is a clear possibility that one day it may venture over to the real world in the same way that, photography, wrist communicators (smart watches), video chatting, and space exploration have done. With our own world changing so rapidly, I see a direct correlation between our own lives and the notion of intelligence born into a world of existence with a need for belonging, identity, and purpose.
Each of the portraits has an identity. These identities are formed through both expressive features and through the adoption of token items that create a simple impression of a personality. These identities also help develop a sense of belonging. The individuals within each painting fit into tropes and classes of society in a comical and sometimes absurdist way. Each has a place, a purpose, and relationships built around that identity.
Christine Cannon