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Christopher Rodrigues Christopher Rodrigues was born on April 29th, 1974 in Derby, England. In 1982 he immigrated to Canada with his family who settled in the isolated outskirts of Ottawa. He completed his high-school aboard the SV Concordia, on it's sailing voyage around the horn of South America, Easter Island and Galapagos Island. After his undergraduate degree in Visual Studies at the University of Toronto, he moved to New York City to reside with his wife Melissa Morrissey, an internationally acclaimed Ballerina. From 2001-2005, his freedom was restricted by his immigrant status. As a result, his paintings, drawings and collage frequently dealt with the themes of immigration and alienation. His audience became smaller, appealing to those who identify with the struggle to belong in a situation, which was inherently incompatible with ones' own circumstance. After receiving his Green-card Christopher focused on expanding his audience. He shifted from the coded autobiographical work was marked by his studies under the late professor, David Buller and assisting artist Karl Mann. Inspired by his video studies with professor Colin Campbell, his three years assisting artist Ingo Gunther and his internship with the New Media Department at the Guggenheim Museum, he moved from the traditional to the digital medium. In 2001 he exhibited the video 'Moment of Clarity' at the Feigen Contemporary, which took footage of a performance in nature and juxtaposed it with digital feedback. This video served as the catalyst to the core concept of his 2005 digital images that explore the relationship between nature and technology. His goal is to be involved in a program of work that is visually accessible to a wide range of ages and cultures, while maintaining a rich conceptual depth; using personal experience in conjunction with a larger global concept.
To establish a starting point for his 2005 digital images, he amalgamated the story of the Garden of Eden with his experience as a rooftop gardener in Manhattan. He constructed images of flowers and plants, then planted gardens using the computer's sterile cut, copy and paste techniques to mimic nature. First, the image was created on Photoshop and then printed using a digital photographic output, either cibachrome or c-print. The software and the output methods are both products of an advancement in computer technology, holding links to the core concept by creating something of beauty through the use of modern advancements. This first phase of his work emphasizes the benefits of technology, while the second phase explores the darker results of technological experimentation, and ultimately the darker side of human nature. Reading Mary Shelly's Frankenstein he gained insight into the horrors that occur when humans act without regard to their potential effects. His amplified images of insects lead the viewer into the fears of cloning and genetic manipulation, as well as the dangers that new viruses pose to our civilization. He continues to build on his library of images, which represent both the positive and negative results of technological advancements. When these individual elements are brought together in large compositions, they suggest a narrative about the co-existence of technology and nature. In December 2005, he exhibited the first large size digital composition 'I' at RARE inc., in New York City. Photoshop is becoming a common tool, giving it new relevance as a contemporary medium. His use of this software has allowed a bridge to be constructed between his work and that of a growing computer culture. By using digital painterly techniques and a photographic process to output these images, his work seeks to explore the boundaries of both photography and painting. |
