Dean Christensen
Dean Christensen is a figurative painter living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Christensen's body of work is an ongoing commentary on the influence of smart technology in our lives.
Collect Bean: What is the kindest thing someone can tell you about your work?
Dean Christensen: I love when it makes people laugh.
Collect Bean: Tell us about a time when you felt you found your groove as an artist.
Dean Christensen: The first time I felt like I had found my groove as an artist was in 2015. I painted a huge ugly selfie with a like, share, and comment button on it and entered a museum show priced at $999,999. I won “Best of Show” that year and knew I was onto something, haha.
Collect Bean: How do you think your work has evolved?
Dean Christensen: I think I’m caring less and less about what people think, and my art is getting weirder and weirder.
Collect Bean: What does growth mean to you?
Dean Christensen: Growth means learning! Staying curious.
Collect Bean: What is one of your current goals as an artist?
Dean Christensen: To have a show in Japan!
Collect Bean: What role does art play in society, and how does your work contribute to that?
Dean Christensen: Art brings people together. I center my art shows around community and organize activities like scavenger hunts to keep them engaging and accessible.
Collect Bean: Where are you currently finding inspiration?
Dean Christensen: NYC everywhere <3
Collect Bean: How does your painting process look like from start to finish?
Dean Christensen: I usually start with a digital sketch on PS, set up a timelapse camera, Draw my sketch, and then paint it. The paint part is usually a rollercoaster, but it’s pretty straightforward.
Collect Bean: What role does color play in your practice?
Dean Christensen: Color is everything! I love it. I always want to bump up saturation and add as much color as possible. I’m learning to reel myself in and use subtlety to let certain colors shine.
Collect Bean: Are there any recurring themes or motifs in your art, and if so, what do they represent to you?
Dean Christensen: Self-depreciation and internet culture have been strong themes in my art. Those themes represent my core belief of not taking yourself seriously.
Collect Bean: How do you incorporate feedback or criticism into your artistic process?
Dean Christensen: I love criticism. I actually really miss critiques in school. They can be tough, but if it’s irritating, it usually means it’s true; haha, those comments help the most.
Collect Bean: How do you approach the balance between experimentation and consistency in your art?
Dean Christensen: I’ve been making a lot of paintings based on what people tell me to paint in my comments, which is fun and unpredictable, but every third painting or so, I do one just for me.
Collect Bean: How do you balance your practice with your daily life?
Dean Christensen: My studio is 36 steps away from my apartment, so my daily life and studio life are pretty intertwined. My friends and my dog keep me from being too much of a hermit.
Collect Bean: What does an ideal day in your studio look like?
Dean Christensen: When I’m really in the zone, I draw my entire sketch on the canvas in the morning, eat some tacos, then paint till 4 a.m. listening to old Kid Cudi songs. Peak flow state.
Collect Bean: If you could be in a show with any artist, who would it be and why?
Dean Christensen: I think a show with Sundaynobody would be iconic. We both have similar troll tendencies. He is a genius.
Collect Bean: Are there any artists or movements that have inspired or influenced your work?
Dean Christensen: I’m loving the “post analog” movement. I am currently obsessed with Gao Hang and Mashiiiine.
Collect Bean: How do you see your artwork fitting into the larger art world or art history?
Dean Christensen: I think it reflects the ridiculousness of online culture. Commentary on what/who we worship and where 21st-century values are.
Collect Bean: How does where you grew up influence your work?
Dean Christensen: I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where we don’t take anything personally and are pretty open-minded. This definitely influenced my sense of humor, which is a strong factor in my work.
Collect Bean: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Dean Christensen: Buy Bitcoin.
Collect Bean: Do you have a saying that you live by?
Dean Christensen: Eat broccoli, enjoy life!
Collect Bean: If you had to describe your work in only three words, what would they be?
Dean Christensen: Shocklate, rawberry, gun
Collect Bean: What is something that you do to stay focused?
Take stimulants ;]
