American Scene, Fine Art Photography, 12×18, 2012
Briefly describe the work you do.
Art to me an acronym; A Reality Transcribed. My art is life so I often say on social media #ARTLife. I speak life, I create life, I birth life with my artworks in various mediums, mostly known for my fine art photography.
Tell us a little about your background and how that influences you as an artist.
Given my background, life inspires me because at one point I was extremely close to the opposite of it. I am a self taught artist with various mentorships. I took the unorthodox path into the art world. No family connections to institutions, no art school, nothing that would make one be at ease in reference to the ‘typical’ artist because my life has been far from typical. My father was a drug dealer. My mother is apart of an active Christian church. So, in these separate homes I would live in two different worlds which shaped a lot of my art as well as my worldview; my perception is of the big picture as well as the little pixels. My art is riddled with codes due to that & my passion is far beyond what a ‘typical’ artist can have. I am driven by my desire to be successful in the rite of cultivating / manifesting my own perception with 100% artistic control as well as to profit from what I create. Even when I was living in my art studio for a moment in time in the past, this has never been a hobby. This is my life. I inked ART Life on my chest in blood, I’ve sweated with building my brand & I’ve surely cried tears due to it. I’m beyond invested & this is my ministry from the Most High God to the people of the earth.
Waterfalls, Fine Art Photography, 20×30, 2012
The concept of the “artist studio” has a broad range of meanings, especially in contemporary practice. The idea of the artist toiling away alone in a room may not necessarily reflect what many artists do from day to day anymore. Describe your studio practice and how it differs from (or is the same as) traditional notions of “being in the studio.”
The world is my studio. All I need is a space where God’s peace can rest & space for my tools then I can work. I’ve lived a nomadic life in reference to studios but as I mature, I see myself owning spaces & being connected to spaces that I can occupy for the sake of art. Being an alumni RedLine Milwaukee artist, I grew to value the idea of feeding off of a community of artists of various mediums. It stimulates creativity that can manifest in different ways & collaborations can be birthed in communal studio spaces, as long as respect is kept high with communication as a must.
What unique roles do you see yourself as the artist playing that you may not have envisioned yourself in when you first started making art?
I see my power to influence people within society. My position as an artist is to make people think. If I don’t make people think then I’m not doing my job. Think in your mind. Think in your heart. Think in your soul.
Beauty Pageant, Fine Art Photography, 20×30, 2011
When do you find is the best time of day to make art? Do you have time set aside every day, every week or do you just work whenever you can?
Nowadays, all of the above. I am always ready to make art because the flow of creativity is never peaked for me. Sometimes, life just comes first. Family & the analytical side of art, which is business, often take precedent over the creative because the imbalance of these things in an artist’s life will utterly destroy you in the end so I take time to focus on those things then I get to the ARTLife. 🙂 My life’s creed is “God, Family, Business” & I feel closest to God when I’m creating. The first five words of the Bible are ‘In the beginning, God created…’ so the first act of the Triune Godhead is creation. I must create.
How has your work changed in the last five years? How is it the same?
The essence of my work is the same because I am C.M.P. as my logo often brands. I legally changed my name to “Christopher McIntyre Perceptions”, which also meshes with my company “CMPerceptions”. When you invest in my artwork, you are receiving a piece of me, literally. I was once told that change is the only constant thing in this world so we are always changing. I’m changing how I express via mixed media, painting, spoken word, documentary film, etc…but the essence of my expression is the same, to shine LIGHT…true light, not artificial light. Art is my ministry.
Are there people such as family, friends, writers, philosophers or even pop icons that have had an impact on the work you do?
God, my family & people whom I respect in actions / principles influence me but life in general impacts my work. We gain from the world around us then give back to the world what we perceive as it processes inside of us to be birthed into art. This is the duty of an artist.
The Studio
If you had an occupation outside of being an artist, what would that be and why?
Honestly, whatever I’d be…I would be miserable to a point. I worked for Apple for two years & I loved it but I longed for more in my art career. I worked part time for AT&T making a few thousand dollars almost every pay check & hated it due to meeting numbers rather than creating work that I could sell for numbers. It would always go back to art for me. I knew since I was I child that I wanted to be an artist & work for myself. Thanks be to Jesus Christ, prayer works & dreams come true with hard work.
About
Christopher McIntyre Perceptions, an artist, uses life as his canvas
as he is mostly known for fine art photography, cultivating art for 10
years.
All images copyright of the artist and used with their permission.
365 Artists | 365 Days 