Krista Arnold

September 2017

“Warrior”

oil on canvas

August 2017

“CEO”

oil on canvas

2016

“Gay″

oil on canvas

A big thank you to everyone who came out for the opening night of “We Are All Precious Snowflakes: Annual Holiday Art Sale”. Great music, great people and great artists! Thank you to Christina Kostoff for curating such a beautiful show. If you happened to miss the opening night, don’t worry! The show will be up Nov 11, 2016-Jan 15, 2017 at Yellow House Gallery (921 Kingston Road, Toronto). Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11-6, and Sundays 1-5. 

...Why do we always feel the need to finish that sentence? If you ask me, it’s just fine the way it is.

Each individual and their entire story can appear to change when placed in a certain context. These contexts may be based on sexual orientation, income/class, job/employment status, hobbies, locality, race, religious/spiritual beliefs, disabilities/illnesses, style or other personal identifying factors. Within each context, we gain a title or label, often one that we identify with when explaining exactly who or what we are as individuals. However, most individuals remain a multitude of different “selves” that can fit into more than one category. 

In these paintings, rather than making apparent a certain label or title that an individual associated with, I allow for differentiating factors to fall into the background, and for the focus to fall solely on the bare and honest physical depiction of each person. Instead of a story, each model is allowed only a single word/phrase (in the title of each piece) that they have identified themselves with or that others have labeled them as.

This title is our only clue into the story of each individual, and in most cases is not representative of the individual as a whole, but only of that particular aspect of themselves. They also often invite assumptions based on stereotypes that may or may not be true, though the individual is not allowed to explain or defend their titles from these perceptions. 

Stripped from all context or room for explanation, may these individuals remind us of how quickly we jump to categorize people and separate them from each other and themselves, craving the details of their story in order to do so, and misrepresenting them with stereotypes in the meantime.

2016

“Reclining Taylor”

oil on canvas

What is it that separates the living from the dead? This question has previously lead me in circles, only to come back to different religions, which in truth were really asking the same question that I was.

In September 2014 I travelled throughout Israel and India in the hopes of better understanding the major religions of the world. After photographing countless holy spaces I realized that we place the highest importance in our lives upon that which we can perceive. Ironically, we have built these physical holy spaces as medians that are meant to connect us to the non-physical world.

2015

“Annunciate”

oil on canvas

Opening reception is Nov 12, 7-10pm, which I unfortunately will not be in attendance for, but there will be lots to see anyways! Here is the link to the facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/yellowhousegallery/photos/gm.1513789625609817/1049721378374067/?type=3&theater

2015

“Bliss”

oil on canvas

2015

“Serene”

oil on canvas

One of my pieces is currently up at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services in their annual “Experiencing Perspectives Art Exhibition”, featuring the work of OCAD University students, alumni, and professors. Opening reception is October 21, 2015 from 6-8pm. RSVP is required for attendees. Hope to see you there! 

Here’s the link to my work up on the website

http://mbfs-art.com/arnold-krista-s/

Here’s the link to RSVP (click register for event near the top of the page)