"Theatrical Realities", Ingrid Christie, Stadttheater Fürth, Fürth, Bavaria, 13.05. - 08.07.2012

[Ingrid Christie]

Fürther Nachrichten, 23.05.2012, CLAUDIA WUNDER

A breathtaking visual language

Ingrid Christie spotlights life seen through the theatre perspective 

What title could better match an exhibition in the Stadttheater than "Theatrical Realities"? None - especially when the connection is so specific, aswith the poster collages by Ingrid Christie fromEngland.

It is the uncontrolled moment of coincidence that Ingrid Christie has adapted for her own work. The basis of her poster series is a random selection of events from the 2011 list of plays, with the day of their performance being a prime number, for example, the 23.7. or 7.3..

Christie made herself familiar with the contents of the plays and concerts and put them into relationship with – (now specifically chosen) – a selection of events in the world press which had occurred on the respective days. In this way the artist links motivically the events which, while simultaneously, took place but without reference and content-bond to each other, into a visual artistic mold. Ingrid Christie, who completed her art studies at the University of Central Lancashire with distinction, is considered a virtuoso collagist. her main tool is with all digital possibilities aside, the scissors. If one wanted to find an historical comparison then probably the Dadaist Hannah Höch comes to mind, who earned international fame through her cut and glue works. She also aimed to distract, and as Christie called on the viewer to look genuinely and comprehensively at what is real, even if it’s painful.

Thus Ingrid Christie uses the performance of the fun opera "blue (tipsy) on the beautiful Danube" from 05.03.11 as a bullet hit at the real-grotesque about the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Or the absurd dance of death "The great massacre game" by Eugene Ionesco, performed on 07.17.11.. Each scene ends here as a death - and here the artist found a suitable reference in the final of the FIFA World Women's Championship. Here and there a game. Here and there serious.

The victory of Japanese women footballers on penalties - in the face of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima balm for the soul of the country – seemed to the top favorites, the Americans, like a quick death. Christie transformed it into exciting visual language: Outlined in a more edgy femininity with a male breast that is infected with a kind of rampant eczema positioned in front of the photograph, instead of the head a soccer ball sits in the national colours of Japan at the head of the stylised woman.