Chris Maier

Words of the Artist

My work is inherently political as it is inspired by the contemporary urban environment and its decay under capitalism. Contemporary Graffiti, its "removal", and the idea of destruction as a creation, or reflection of public thought play a serious role in informing my current practice. My art is influenced by contemporary movements like the Graffiti movement and Post-Vandalism as well as movements such as Dada, Informalism, and the Bauhaus School. My composition is typically influenced by the Wabi-sabi aesthetic, primarily with regards to the Nature Aquarium aquascape style pioneered by Takashi Amano, as well as traditional Japanese gardens.

Artist Biography

Chris Maier is currently working as a painter and mixed media artist in the city of Calgary on Treaty 7 Land. Despite being born and raised in Calgary they have spent significant time with their family in the former GDR Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. The time spent during these numerous consequential visits was primarily in the city of Dessau-Roßlau, known historically as the longest-running home of the Bauhaus School. This political, cultural, economic, and social contrast fundamentally exposed Chris to ideas regarding the juxtaposition of surfaces and the act of creative destruction. These ideas in mark-making follow various political and abstract narratives throughout their work.