Conceptual | Chris Cook Artist

Circle of Life:

I am not much of an artist in the sense of “paint brushes, strokes on canvas, and acrylic color palates”. My art tends to come with the way that I am able to use my words to talk about or describe something. (I studied culinary arts in college, therefore, I have a decent ability to put good looking food on a plate, but that is neither here nor there). That being said, I am one who appreciates art, though I may not always have the best idea of what exactly is happening on the canvas, or what was going through the artist’s mind as he/she created the piece.

Chris titled this painting “Circle of Life”. After singing Sir Elton John’s hit from the opener of Disney’s The Lion King in my head, I began to contemplate life as a circle/cycle, and to contemplate this painting as a representation of it.

I feel like the black and white, almost starry field that constructs the majority of the background helps to represent the vastness that is the expanse of a universe much larger than we’re able to experience in our lifetime. The figure in the top left of the picture seems to represent birth/beginning. The colored element is an adult male, (I assume that is Chris). There are other figures within the painting, and a definite wheel, reminding me of the cycles of our life.

Lent is a time when we are to be reminded of our human mortality. During the Imposition of Ashes, pastors typically speak words like “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. It’s a stark reminder that our creator works things out in seasons and cycles. This big ol’ wheel keeps on turning, and God has a forever plan in motion for it all.

Chris Cook is a premier southern artist and owner of Madison Studios, a web design, maintenance, and e-commerce and marketing company. For his artist biography, contact information, or to view more of his work, click HERE.

Clothesline

I imagine that the days of clotheslines being the norm were definitely a “different” and probably a “simpler” time.

To me, clothes lines seem to signify a time in history when people weren’t rushed by the need for convenience and the speed of modern technology. If your clothes were out on the line, that was alright. I can’t see the people that used clothes lines feeling the need to be as hurried, pressured, and pushed for time as we are today.

Chris painted this picture on a very large canvas, big enough to be a focal piece in a family room, or entrance to a home. I feel like it serves as a great reminder to days past, and as an encouragement to us to slow down, maybe put the phones down and be willing to let life happen at its own speed, rather than hurry it along.

What do you think? Have you ever put clothes out on the line, and then sat back and sipped a glass of lemonade in the breeze? What do you do to take the time to sit back and simply enjoy life without all of the pressures and hurries of today’s busy life?

Jesus Loves You:

It’s a message that we could all stand to hear more often… “Jesus Loves You”

This painting started off when Chris saw a picture in the local newspaper of a group of young children visiting the local nursing home. The picture showed a group of residents lined up in their wheel chairs, with the children in front of him. When I asked him he said to me “I probably didn’t even read the article, but I was touched by the picture, so I tore it out and made it into a painting”.

The painting itself is a really captivating blend of mediums. I love that you can see the article in the background, that Chris pulled one face out of the crowd and painted her rather than leaving the picture itself to feature the residents. I love the juxtaposition of bright colors with the black and white of the center picture and the text of the article. The implementation of the Cross brings the whole idea of one act of love making a difference in together.

That was the whole basis for the article. Chris saw this one act that the children did for the residents, and it immediately motivated him to capture it in a painting. His mind went to Jesus’ death on the cross, one act of love to save so many.

I really like this painting for so many reasons, not the least of which is the colors. The message that it brings is one that we all could stand to hear more often. Jesus really does love each of us. He’s not in the business of condemnation, punishment, or pain. “Love God with everything you’ve got, and Love your neighbor as yourself” “Love one another as I have loved you” “We love, because he first loved us”. Jesus LOVES us all…and that is something to cherish and to hold on to!

Yalta:

Chris took inspiration for this painting from a picture that he saw in Smithsonian Magazine. Art is so much about symbolism, placement, and subtlety so much of the time, and this painting is no exception. There is SO much going on in this picture, I’ll just have to get right to it.

The main three men depicted in the painting are Winston Churchill, FDR, and Joseph Stalin.

Churchill – He’s depicted smoking a cigar & with a pig’s foot in place of one of his hands. In the years after England was bombed, as his people lived in shambles and extreme poverty, Churchill was notorious for continuing to smoke his cigars, and drink his liquor. This earned him an infamous reputation as a “pig” for his lavish lifestyle, despite the suffering all around him.

FDR- Can clearly be seen leaning in the direction of Stalin. Chris says that this is indicative of his decisions to give so much of Eastern Europe to Stalin’s forces, even so late in the war. He’s facing Churchill, but clearly leaning to Stalin’s side. His hand is even beginning to become gnarled like Stalin’s are.

Stalin – His hands are gnarled up and demonic/animalistic in appearance. He has a cheeky grin on his face, pleased with the direction and progress of things so far.

The Raven – Often a symbol of impending doom and death in literature and art. Conveniently perched between Churchill and FDR.

The Owl- Symbolizing secrecy, stealth, wisdom, and things hidden. He watches from over Stalin’s shoulder.

There are images of soldiers fighting the war off in the background of the painting, reminding the viewer of the “grunt work” of fighting that was taking place while these men held their meetings and decided the fate of much of the free world at that point.

The man pictured over Chruchill’s shoulder – His countenance bears a striking resemblance to what many of us would imagine the devil’s face to appear like. Chris says that he painted the devil into this picture so that, “he can be there making sure it all goes down the right way”. He uses influences from lyrics from the classic rock song “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones. The song references the devil being present in times like when Pilate washed his hands of Christ’s blood, and “watching with glee, as kings and queens fought for decades…” Take a listen to the song while looking at this painting, it’ll definitely make you stop and think for a while.

Art is all about symbolism, emotion, and interpretation. I think Chris did a fantastic job of all of these in this painting. Take a look…Take a listen… Think, and Tell me your opinion.

Oswald-Ruby Shooting

As the 50 year anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (November 22, 1963), and the subsequent death of his suspected killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, two days later, I find it fitting that Chris just finished this piece this week. I came into the office today to find it in a new place on the wall here at Madison Studios. Of all of the days, a traveler from Ontario, Canada came into the gallery while snapping pictures of downtown Madison’s storefronts and streets. The man was a self professed “Kennedy Buff” who had a connection on his grandmother (who was born a Kennedy)’s side to our late Commander-In-Chief. The visitor came in and marveled at both the content and style of the painting.

The piece is Chris’s depiction of Jack Ruby assassinating Oswald just 2 short days after he, according to our government, killed JFK. The style of the painting was inspired by Guernica, a piece by Pablo Picasso that depicts the violence and devastation that came from the bombing of Guernica, Spain by the Germans during the Spanish Civil War. I think that this painting really helps to demonstrate the versatility of how a southern artist can pull from very classical paintings and incorporate them stylistically into a work that is still uniquely his own.

Rather than harp on the conspiracies and coverups that surround the events that shook our nation 50 years ago, Chris chose to base the style off of the Picasso pice to reflect the savage and violent nature of humanity. The violence that surrounded the attack on Guernica shook Spain much like the attack on our President did for the US back in ’63. The style of the painting is very much like that of Picasso’s depiction of the disaster after the bombing.

Where were you when Kennedy was shot? What are your thoughts on those who claim it was all a conspiracy? What do acts like the shooting, and the bombing of a village is Spain say about the state of our world?

Jed Hanes

More information on the artist can be found at http://www.chriscookartist.com/bio.html

Temptation of Christ:

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil”

Shortly after his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. The ministry of the savior of the world, Jesus Christ began with a 40 day fast, and coming face to face with the devil himself.

Tired, hungry, and weary, he sat, looking to his Father to sustain his needs.

Three times the devil tempted him, and three times Jesus had an answer.

Hungry– Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into loaves of bread

‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Tired– Satan says for Jesus to throw himself from the highest point in the temple

‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Weary– He promises jesus all the kingdoms of the world, if He will bow and worship him.

‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

It brings me great comfort to know that my Lord and Savior was tempted and tried, just as I’ve been. Yet through it all, I can draw peace and strength in knowing that he was able to look the devil in the eye and rely on God alone for peace and strength.

Knowing that we serve a God who chose to come down to earth in human form brings me much comfort. He lived our life, he suffered just as we have, and he died an innocent man’s death… all just to be in a relationship with each of us.

Jed Hanes

More information on the artist, Chris Cook, can be found at http://www.chriscookartist.com/bio.html