Chrystal earned an Associate of Art in Fine Arts from the Community College of Vermont in 2019, graduating summa cum laude. She will graduate in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Art in Studio Art (concentration in sculpture) and a Minor in Art History from Vermont State University, Castleton. Chrystal works at the VTSU Castleton Bank Gallery as the Gallery Assistant/Coordinator.
Artists Statement
I have been driven to produce art for as long as I can remember. Over the years, I have explored many mediums, with a particular focus on drawing, painting, and additive sculpture. My passion for sculpture originated one summer day when I was nine years old. Upon entering a foundry for the first time, I was enthralled to find life-sized maquettes, plaster molds, and sculptures of all sizes made from various materials. I left there with a bag full of casting wax, a mind full of inspiration, and a heart full of dreams.
As an eclectic artist, I am currently developing several bodies of work. My main focus is on creating sculptural paintings and hollow-form sculptures, but I also produce two dimensional, photo-realistic drawings and paintings. I am drawn to study the human form and explore facial expressions and aspects of personality through portraiture. I am intrigued with and explore scientific ideas and phenomena, mental health, and the human experience. I frequently produce artwork around the expression of moods and psychological states, communicating my ideas
abstractly through form, texture, and color. Most of my work is created through mixed media using a combination of conventional and unconventional art materials. I enjoy the challenge of marrying the two to create unique outcomes. I recently began incorporating light into my sculptures and plan to continue exploring this element in future works. When conceptualizing a piece, I carefully consider the medium that would best suit the idea. Each medium communicates something different. Whether I use fabric sculpting, building materials, canvas, or wire mesh and paint. as an artist, I must consider how the medium brings voice to the idea. When working in multimedia, I also consider how the combination of materials can be manipulated to create the best outcome. These are the factors that guide my decision-making when planning a piece.
Ultimately, my artwork reflects my passion for experimentation with materials and my refusal to limit my creative expression. My body of work expresses aspects of humanity and our interaction with ourselves, each other, and reality. No matter the material, I am either examining human expression, human emotion, the things that affect us, or the things that can be observed by us. In this way, my body of work examines human perception and experience.
Art by Chrystal Bean 