Crystal Jean Baranyk

“Opt out. Opt out. Opt out,” thrums in my brain as I look at what it meant to live in our modern world. When I am alone in nature I no longer feel like a fish stuck swimming against the current, I just exist. Originally my body of work grew from an obsessive autistic desire to share my love of biodiversity, of plants and animals, of fresh air and life. I struggled with verbal communication fighting my dyslexia and I began to incorporate psychology into my imagery. What were my artworks made of? How did this relate to my subject matter? What did every color and element convey to the viewer? Then I shied away from controversy only wishing to share my love of these things. Today, I am exploring how to address social issues such as waste in creation, environmental impact, and humanities general relationship to the natural world. I am interested in tying these concepts into the exploration of cultural thought shifts, creativity, and play in upcoming artwork."

 

PAST

 

Depending on biodiversity, life exists in a precarious balance where nature is neither romantic nor cruel. In the past, Baranyk’s work has focused on showcasing the wildlife around her. Her art connected viewers to nature, so they could feel its importance and to understand and be good stewards of the planet. During this time, she achieved the honor of having her artwork “Roots” placed in a permanent public collection on Oahu. She went on to create many other works that were shown and sold as well as the designing the concept based on mutual symbiosis for a sculptural temple in collaboration with Adam Phelps and Matt Bell. 

 

PRESENT

 

The distance between people and nature is often exaggerated by our own perception of the world around us. Animals become sketches and outlines of things we relate to on a surface level. At present, Baranyk is working on a series that shows how we imagine the life around us, and how this lack of depth has unintended consequences. One of these works which depicts the silhouettes of moths around a glowing lightbulb is currently showing at ArtShare LA’s, ‘Let’s Hang’ salon. Two other works focus on California’s fire season. In yet another work, fish with glowing eyes (phosphorescent paint) swim by the outline of a spatula stuck in a kelp bed. And in another deer stand on a road looking out towards the viewer. Our fear and paranoia of them is a thing we have helped create. Our relationships are complicated but intertwined.

 

FUTURE

 

Lately Baranyk has become obsessed with polarity, tribalism, and why people change their minds. Concerned with the widening gap between identities, Baranyk has refocused some of her ideas for artwork on concepts she thinks may bring people closer together. In order to mitigate existential risks she firmly believes in promoting play and curiosity in public spaces. One work that she would like to see created is fairly simple and relies on sound. She would like a wall that sighs when leaned on, and several spots on the floor that proclaim “ouch” when stepped on. Additionally, Baranyk would like art in airports that connects travelers from other airports and allows them to communicate, real time, internationally. These communications could take the form of collaborative puzzles being solved based on the sharing of specific cultural knowledge. This project could also be scaled to connect people from different neighborhoods and work in various metro stations as well. Baranyk also intends to bring aesthetic work to places that need color and life. She wants people to see the beauty and nature in the concrete city as well. She wants to bring the styles and concepts of past and future work to life in Los Angeles.