ARTIST STATEMENT
I’m on a quest to find a god that doesn’t exist, a paradise that can never be found, a memory lost to time. These explorations have me looking at kitsch vestiges of the natural world, our relationship to the animal, and/or to the animal within. These things coalesce in a quiet nostalgic internal apocalypse. Homecoming/pain. Eden is ravaged by capital while we’re handed a collapsing poodle toy.
I make contemplative, sad, dark and ultimately humorous ruminations on these things. Manifested in text and image ink on paper drawings, life scale oil paintings, and the rare sculpture - I seek to find beauty in our relations to the non-human: a Guy Harvey t-shirt, the cat hung in the basement, an alligator in a swimming pool.
I’m tired of the anthropocene. Crack open a can of Monster and have a smoke, we’re gonna be here a while.
CV
EDUCATION
2012 MFA University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC
2004 BFA University of South Florida - Tampa, FL
ONE & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2019
Paradise OneOneOne, Chapel Hill, NC
2018
Animal Paintings Lees-Mcrae College, Banner Elk, NC
2016
Just Another Animal Lump Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2015
We're All Here and We're All Going to Die Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Raleigh, NC
2012
Constructed Flora North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC
2009
Beavers and Boomboxes Chef Off! / Gallery 345, Toronto, ON
2006
Vice Versus Blackout Creations Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2003
Into the Night Venice Fine Art Gallery, State College of Florida, Venice, FL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Quarantined, Amelia Center Gallery, Panama City, FL
By Yourself With Everyone, Good Mother Gallery, Oakland, CA / online
New American Paintings Social Distance Editor’s Pick, New American Paintings online.
2019
Chlorine Tidal Wave, Field Projects Gallery, New York, NY
Velvet Ropes Drawing Show, Sargent’s Daughters / Shrine Gallery, New York, NY
Lump$um, Lump Gallery, Raleigh, NC
UNC MFA Art Auction, Chapel Hill, NC
2018
Everybody in the Pool, Ada Gallery, Richmond, VA
Outlaws, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY
Within Reach: Elaborate Patterns, Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA
Animalia, Blue Spiral 1 Gallery, Asheville, NC
Beauty of the Beast, GreenHill Gallery, Greensboro, NC
UMW Faculty Exhibition Dupont Gallery, Fredericksburg, VA
2017
Middle Gallery Ada Gallery, Richmond VA
Ada Gallery, Current Art Fair, Richmond, VA
UMW Faculty Exhibition Dupont Gallery, Fredericksburg, VA
The Nothing That Is: A Drawing Show in 5 Parts V2, The Carnegie, Covington, KY
RadeoFlyer: Artists Reimagine the Flyer, DAC Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Menagerie Amelia Center Gallery, Panama City, FL
UNC MFA Art Auction Light Art + Design, Chapel Hill, NC
2016
Anywhere But Here Lump Gallery, Raleigh, NC
Arise! Bald Man! King of Hair People! Lump Gallery, Raleigh, NC
CAMstellation Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, NC
2015
The Nothing That Is: A Drawing Show in 5 Parts Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Raleigh, NC
2014
State of the Art/Art of the State Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
Unnatural Histories / Brink Hellion Gallery, Curated by Antler Gallery, Portland, OR
2013
New American Paintings, Issue 106 (Juror’s Pick) Juror - Miranda Lash, Modern and Contemporary Art Curator, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Open Studio Press. Boston, MA
2012
Lightning Strikes Twice Circuit 12 Contemporary & Mary Thomas Gallery, Dallas, TX
Collapsible Histories: New Currents in Contemporary Art Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill, NC
Dream Continuum Circuit 12 Contemporary, Dallas, TX
2011
Don’t Be Intimidated By This Painting Friday Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Plugged In, Lump Gallery, Raleigh, NC
Untitled: A Mid-Atlantic MFA Exhibition Industry Gallery, Washington, DC
& University of Virginia's Ruffin Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
Contain It Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
First Year Allcott Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
2010
Grab 'n' Go Neon Forest Gallery, Orlando, FL
STOP Raleigh Furniture Building, Raleigh, NC
2009
Reel Life IX Gallery, Toronto, ON
2008
Warriors Vitale Brothers Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
Love to Hate BETA Art Space, Orlando, FL
The 2nd Coming Pale Horse Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2007
Small Talk BETA Art Space, Orlando, FL
Uncommon Remains SNAP Gallery, Edmonton, AB
Gallery Eats Art The Carpet Factory Lofts, Toronto, ON
Eco Art Nichols Gallery, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA
2006
Stalking the Chimera Flight 19 Gallery, Tampa, FL
Get Stoked Blackout Creations Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
Secret T Party” Transitions Gallery, Tampa, FL
2004
Exit Strategies William and Nancy Oliver Gallery, Tampa, FL
Industrial Carnival Museum Sarasota Arts Center, Sarasota, FL
Pretty in Porcelain Centre Gallery, Tampa, FL
Metamorphosis Covivant Gallery, Tampa, FL
Industrial Carnival Bustillo Cigar Factory, Tampa, FL
28th Annual Student Art Exhibition curated by Allan McCollum, Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL
GRANTS / AWARDS / RESIDENCIES
2015 Puffin Foundation Grant
2015 Joan Mitchell Foundation Career Opportunity Grant
2013 Culture & Animals Foundation Grant
2012 Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant
2011 University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Alumni Sculpture Garden Award
2009 Nissan Hypercube Competition
2008 Artist in Residence - Art Heart, Toronto Ontario Canada
2004 University of South Florida Talent Grant
COLLECTIONS
Michael and Hanna Manes - Asheville NC
ColArt Collection - Montreal Quebec Canada
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Alumni Sculpture Garden - Chapel Hill NC
TEACHING
2016 - present Assistant Professor of Painting & Drawing, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
2012-2014 Adjunct / Visiting Lecturer; University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
2011-2012 Fall/Spring, Lecturer / Teaching Fellow; University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
2010-2011 Fall/Spring, Teaching Assistant; University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
2008 Spring Artist in Residence / Instructor; Art Heart, Toronto Ontario Canada
PUBLICATION IN PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS
“Towards a New Animism” Antennae: The Journal of Nature and Visual Culture, Issue 26: pp 5-10, back cover. Ed. Giovanni Aloi, London, Autumn 2013.
LECTURES / PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Animal Paintings, Lees-McCrae College, Banner Elk, NC, March 15th 2018. (lecture)
Toward A New Animism, Institute for Critical Animal Studies 13th Annual Conference, Rice University, Houston, TX, April 12th, 2014. (lecture / panel)
Department of Fine Art, Winston-Salem State University, Winston Salem, NC. March 2, 2012 (lecture)
Hybridity, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic Media Course,
Prof. Sabine Gruffat, January 31, 2012 (lecture)
Untitled: A Mid-Atlantic MFA Exhibition, McIntire Department of Art - University of Virginia,
Charlottesville,VA. Aug.23, 2011 (panel)
JUROR
2017 Liberty Arts - Below Zero. Fredericksburg, VA
2014 Danville Art League Juried Show. Danville, VA
2012 University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Undergraduate Awards. Chapel Hill, NC
2011 University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Undergraduate Awards. Chapel Hill, NC
2010 Undergraduate Art Association -University of North Carolina Art Competition. Chapel Hill, NC
BIBLIOGRAPHY/PRESS
Anderson, Natasha "Blue Spiral 1: Animalia" Laurel of Asheville, Feb 2018.
"Gallery Immersion into a World of Animals" Yes Weekly, March 29, 2018.
Simmons, Tony "GCSC Opens Menagerie" Panama City News Herald, Feb. 1, 2017.
Howe, Brian “Chris Musina: Just Another Animal” Indy Week, Oct. 5 2016. p 36
Luse, Mimi “The Nothing That Is - A Drawing Show in Five Parts” Frieze Magazine, Issue 175 November-December 2015.
"Off the Wall" IndyWeek, Chris Vitiello, July 22, 2015. pp 14-15.
"Chris Musina" Fresh Paint Magazine, ed. Popova, Ekaterina, Fall 2014. pp 46-47.
Olda, Danny “Chris Musina’s “Volatile Relationship” With Nature” Beautiful Decay, Sept. 25, 2013. Web
Musina, Chris “Towards a New Animism” Antennae: The Journal of Nature and Visual Culture, Issue 26. Ed. Giovanni Aloi, London, Autumn 2013 pp 5-10, back cover.
New American Paintings, Issue 106, Juror - Miranda Lash, Modern and Contemporary Art Curator, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Open Studio Press. Boston, MA. June 2013
“Collapsible Histories” Catalogue UNC Art Department, 2012
Boyer, Kent“Review: Dream Continuum” Arts & Culture Magazine: North Texas. May 2012
Parsons, Laura “Anxiety variety: Artists unnerve with unseen energy” The Hook. Aug. 29, 2011
Hope, Eric “‘Untitled’ at Industry Gallery” East City Art. July 14, 2011. Web
Dowling, Marcus “‘Untitled’ exhibition is an emotional parade from rising artists with a twist” The Pinkline Project. July 12, 2011. Web
O’Sullivan, Michael “Conner and Industry Galleries Open New Shows” Washington Post. July, 7, 2011. Web
Williams, Anne “Chris Musina” Untitled: A Mid-Atlantic MFA Exhibition Catalogue - University of Virginia, 2011
Clark Zumpe, Lee "DFAC Hosts Annual ‘Contain it!’ Event" Tampa Bay News Weekly. March 8, 2011
Reeves, Terri "Buy, View Art this Weekend at Dunedin Fine Art Center" St Petersburg Times, March 11 2011
"The 2nd Coming" Catalogue - Pale Horse Gallery/Pale Horse Design Inc. pp. 40-41. 2008
Voeller, Megan “Art: The Second Coming” Creative Loafing. March 12 2008
Food Jammers Season 2 Episode “Gallery Eats Art”, Peace Point Entertainment Group, Cooking Channel & Food Network Canada, Original Air Date May 7, 2007
Voller, Megan “Double Vision: Two Artists Square Off” Creative Loafing, December 6, 2006
Garisto, Julie “The Monster Mash ” Tampa Bay Times, October 13, 2006. p 3e
Harrell, Scott “Going Once, Going Twice...”, Weekly Planet, Vol. 18 No. 21. 2005
Fugate, Mary "Something wicked this way comes", The Longboat Observer, Sept. 23, 2004. pp 4B-5B
LINKS