Chrissy Lloyd and her Lithographs
Interview with Chrissy LLoyd
Chrissy Lloyd began her career in fashion as a model. World weary at 21, She put herself through art school for 2 years, and then later became a freelance fashion assistant. She assisted stylists on Revlon campaigns, Samsung ads, as well as assisting fashion editors and traveling with them on far away shoots. In 03 she was hired at InStyle Magazine in their special issues department, first as a market editor, then working her way up to the title of fashion director. She left in 2008 and has been a freelance fashion editor and stylist ever since. She started a fashion and art blog called Chrissy Styles in 09, and is an avid printmaker. Her lithographs are a reflection of the fashion and beauty world she has known since she was a teenager. She lives in Brooklyn with her musician husband and 2 chihuahuas. She loves looking at old master paintings, reading David Sedaris books, and eating cheese.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
This is a hard one, as I get inspiration on a daily basis from many sources.
Rembrandt. His later work is crusty with lots of layers and colors settled into the cracks. it's deep and intense like life itself, and he gives his subjects (including himself) a profound sense of humanity and soul.
Favorite websites/blogs/publications?
Net-a-Porter.com is just about the best upscale online retailer out there.
Online magazine Nowness.com. Whether it's a feature on an amazing chef, an artistic fashion video of a model coming out of a pool with glittery eyes, or screen tests by a director in the 60's, their content is always fresh and seemingly devoid of advertisers. I hope they keep it that way...
"Adventures in the Print Trade". They feature prints from every time period
I also really love Lisa Borges lifestyle blog called "A Bloomsbury Life." This woman knows how to write and sentence that lulls me into relaxation. Check it out, you'll see what I mean..
Most memorable shoots you have worked on?
I think the most memorable shoot I have ever worked on was when I was a model. I was lucky enough to be on location in Okinawa, Japan for a Toyota campaign and it was (I think) my 20th birthday. The crew got me a big cake, but there was some lost in translation thing going on because it read "Happy Birthday Lloyd, Christen". I think they must have copied it from my passport, hilarious!
Favorite editorials?
One from the late 80's with Christy Turlington posing in front of a wrinkly backdrop out on the street somewhere with pedestrians passing by on either side. It may have been shot by Steven Meisel, but the thing that was so striking was the juxtaposition between this tall, mythic beauty and the passer bys just going about their day.
I also really love a story shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Lori Goldstein in the (late?) 90's for Italian Vogue. It shows teenagers lounging on muscle cars in those old concrete waterways in LA. The amazing thing is that Lori took Judith Leiber bags, often thought of as "old lady", and draped them on these beguiling teens and made them look ridiculously cool.
More recently, in W, there is a Mert and Marcus shot story called "Color Me Beautiful" featuring Lara Stone and styled by Alex White. Everything about it drives me wild with delight.
What would be a dream project for you? To go into the fashion closet of Vogue, and have my choice of any current runway looks I wanted. Style a story on a fantastic model like Lara Stone, and then sketch out a series from the photos, and make lithographs from them. It's the perfect matchup of fashion and art for me.
Tell us about your upcoming show
My show is at the Manhattan Graphics Center until January 31st, and I would love for everyone to come see it! I do mostly figurative work, and a lot of the newest work are faces. I often take a magazine picture of a beautiful girl and change it thru my drawing and treatment of the tones. I make it darker, more intense and I hope, stronger.
I've also been thinking a lot about those silly corporate posters like the "Hang in There" kitty, and made a couple of my own. One is of a face with 2 bananas for eyes, and a watermelon slice for a smile and it's called "Whatever You Say". It's basically a joke on corporate hierarchy; smiling at someone without meaning it, and doing their biding.
Anything else youd like to share with our audience?
If you don't live in NY and can't come to my show and want to see more of my work, you can see it at KiptonArt. http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/chrissy-lloyd/
whateveryousay
