From Dripping Springs, Texas
Artist Statement:
I’m fascinated with the public’s reaction to the arts, and specifically, how to encourage active viewer participation. I aspire to create theatrical, uplifting environments that spark curiosity while questioning the “exclusivity” of art. My public installations often invite viewer interaction through active touch or by simply encouraging people to walk into, sit within and become a part of the environment. My kinetic sculptures meld mechanical movements with anatomical forms resulting in whimsical hybrids. I often use wind, sunlight, solar collectors, or water to create movement. Though many of my commissioned projects are monumental in scale and complexity I love to create sculptures of all sizes, from gallery to mid-scale works. These pieces explore more intimate concepts such as human relationship with the natural or built environment. A strong narrative guides my imagery, especially when I'm interpreting personal stories as seen in my "Life Symbol" series.
Artist Biography:
Christine Rojek specializes in interactive, often kinetic, public sculpture. Her site responsive installations have become destination pieces for over 20 locations throughout the United States. Rojek’s large, complex, works of art have led to collaborations with distinguished architects, specialty fabricators and engineers. She has created projects for national developers, universities, and museums including the Tulsa, OK Parking Authority, the Naperville, IL “Century Walk”, EdVenture Children’s Museum, Columbia SC, and Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL. Select honors include seven grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a National Endowment for the Arts Grant, an AT&T Technology in Art Grant, a City of Chicago DCASE Grant, and multiple Grants for Professional Development from Columbia College Chicago where she served as adjunct faculty for over 25 years. Christine Rojek is a founding board member of Chicago Sculpture International (an affiliate of the International Sculpture Center NYC), a founding member of Artemisia Gallery (Chicago’s first all-women’s cooperative), and is the co-founder of SculpTours, a touring company dedicated to the advancement of public sculpture. Rojek earned a BFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and continued her studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Fontainebleau, France where she focused on performance and collaborative art.