ARTIST STORY
The COVID Years - The Blade Stroke Becomes the Painting
During the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the outside world shut down, I found that my only pathway to art was to turn inward. Looking back, this period was one of great discovery and creativity in painting.
Before the pandemic, my inspiration came from the urban landscape of the city, both artistically and architecturally. I viewed the process of making art through the lens of subtraction. Art became an exercise in editing, searching for the essence of found objects—a mixed media collage of photographs and gesso. One of my favorite subjects was the mini-dumpsters scattered throughout NYC construction sites. They were my M&M's of the art world, offering boundless ways to view them; the more dented, dusty, and colorful the better. Whether individual or grouped together, these empty minis revealed their full depth, showcasing their playfulness in color, light, and shadow.
Turning inward during the pandemic required me to find a new path towards art. This meant letting go of found objects and focusing instead on colors, patterns, materials, and techniques. Colors and patterns took on a life inspired by nature, materials came from recycled wood, and my techniques were informed by my experiences as a carpenter. Before moving to New York, I had used a taping knife during my time as a carpenter in Atlanta, especially for drywall finishing. Rediscovering the knife blade in the context of painting was a breakthrough moment. The repetitive nature of pulling the paint with the blade while giving space for muscle memory allowed for fluidity and freedom to exist within the painting. The blade stroke soon became the painting itself.
ARTIST BIO
P. Christian Bailey is an artist, architect, carpenter, and teacher living in NYC.
As a painter, Christian was recently part of the core group of artists with the Art Arsenal, an interactive art and artists community created by Jill Higson, the Founder and Chief Curator. He has exhibited his painting throughout the city in multiple art by architects exhibitions. As the current President of the Society of American Registered Architects NY Council (SARA NY), he initiated the first SARAART Exhibition/Charity Event in the fall of 2023. The exhibition showcased 35 architects from all over the world and 75 pieces of art. The event raised $2500 towards student scholarship funds. The second SARAART exhibit will be held Oct 9 -Oct 11, 2024 in NYC. He also established ODAART while he was the Founding Principal at ODA. As a Founding Principal at ODA, he initiated ODAART within the office with Asuncion Tapia and Elizabeth Jackson.
As an architect, Christian is a Director at MA (Morris Adjmi Architects) and was previously a Founding Principal at ODA in New York City. He is serving his third term with the Industry Advisory Group for the State Department Bureau of Overseas Building Operations.
As a teacher, Christian is an Adjunct Professor at New York City College of Technology and Affiliate Professor at Virginia Tech where he is active with the Virginia Tech Diplomacy Lab Studio in association with the State Department.
After completing his studies in 1994 with a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, he worked with design/build firms in Atlanta as a carpenter on housing and furniture projects. Christian and his family moved to NYC in 2001 and currently lives in Washington Heights and spends most of his time between New York and Virginia.
With a foundation in construction, architecture, teaching and art, Christian looks for clarity and simplicity in design and painting. There are some that say his nature is somewhat sympathetic, but mostly non-plussed.