About

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Why do people tell stories and why do they “make” things? Cognitive thought distinguishes humans from the rest of the sentient world, with instinct connecting humans to all other forms of life on earth. I have never been interested in representing the figure in an art object, but I am motivated by parts of beings—- organs, skin and bodily systems. So, I’m interested in the mechanics of life forms, but also in human thought and behavior.

Much of what I do is expressed through idea-encoded imagery and in suggested narratives while I move from one medium or subject to another. Whether my imagery is cleanly represented, employs the use of abstracted brushwork, or utilizes photographic fragments, my studio and artlife serve as a “laboratory” where material use flows in and out. Most of the bodies of work form in a collection of “series” and are created using a train of thought method. That way, I explore tangents emanating from an idea where often a striven-for “masterpiece” is replaced by a collection of pieces that form a larger statement.

With a rapidly changing world, many of us have changed our priorities. In 2019, a new category titled rogue Interventions emerged within the scope of my work. At that time and currently, I delve into topical viewpoints and existential thoughts relating to current events. Using color/symbol/image along with handwritten/descriptive text, the interventions use the subverted structure of a Pantone Color System model to ask questions about worldwide or local concerns. Each intervention tackles a current thought or topic and describes that thinking in written text underneath the image. These “public” pieces are individually installed outdoors where the setting is integral to each intervention. They are photographed in situ and are intended to create a dialogue with the public. The interventions are sometimes permanently left in place and in these cases, they become physically degraded by the elements.

Chris Costan has been recognized with individual grants such as the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a NYFA Rauschenberg Emergency Grant. Her work has been collected nationally by institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Modern Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, NJ, Tacoma Art Museum and Montclair Art Museum among others. Her solo shows featuring large scale paintings have been reviewed in ARTnews, Artforum, Flash Art, New York Magazine, Details magazine and others. Residencies in 2019 included Lichtenberg Studios in Berlin, Germany and Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna, FL. Previous residencies include Nota Bene in Cadaques, Spain, and Stone Barn Center for the Arts (both now defunct) in Rome, NY. In 2025, she will return to Lichtenberg Studios as a resident artist. Costan, born in Chicago, has lived and worked in New York City and sometimes in the Hudson Valley since the 1980’s.

Her day jobs have included designing color for the feature film Beavis and Butthead Do America and Color Design Supervisor on Daria, an animated television series, both at MTV Animation. She was Furniture and Light Fixture Designer at Ercole Home which was featured at the original 4 floor ABC Carpet in NYC. More recently, Costan was longtime Senior Color Designer for Eileen Fisher ready-to wear, and Design and Trend Specialist on Eileen Fisher Home for Garnet Hill.