Q+A // Visual Alchemist Chrissie Abbott Creates (And Inhabits) Her Very Own Otherworld

Courtesy: Chrissie Abbott

Maybe you already knew that Chrissie Abbott was a blonde bombshell with an adorable English accent who also happens to be one of the sought after, most unabashedly psychedelic visual artists going--though we're placing bets on you not knowing she was a master kitten charmer. 

“When I was growing up,” she tells us, “every single birthday, I asked for a kitten but I was never allowed because my dad was allergic...so out of desperation, I used to tempt neighboring cats into my house with plates of ham in hopes of revealing that the allergy did not exist.  But it never worked and I just got in trouble.”

If anything, Chrissie is certainly crafty.  Her love of creating began in childhood with afternoons spent making collages from her mother’s magazines and old Christmas cards.  She continues to work in collage because the juxtaposition of unlike images holds such possibility for “happy accidents.”  If you are not familiar with Chrissie Abott (that's what we're here for), we can tell you that her art is what would have happened if Lisa Frank had quit the yearbook, dropped out of high school, and joined Ken Kesey’s Furthur bus.

Chrissie’s love of music -- of which Jimi Hendrix and Dinosaur Jr. play a crucial part -- led her to gigs designing album covers for bands like Little Boots and the Koolaid Electric Company.  Recently, she’s been busy creating art for the band Diagrams, and preparing for an upcoming show in Sydney after the new year. Recently, she took the time to chat with 3rd Ward about love, life, and the infinite pursuit of kittens.  Hit the jump for more visuals and the full Q+A.

3W: Do you feel that the wit and humor of your work, as well as the collage element, makes it a little more proletariat and accessible?

CA: I hope so.  I like to try and make work with a bit of personality so that people can connect with it and see some humor in it.  I don’t take it too seriously.  It’s supposed to be a bit lighthearted and I hope that comes across.  I like low-fi looking work.  I like involving screen-printing and hand drawn elements too so that it can still be identified as being made by a human.

3W: Was there a moment when you decided you were going to pursue visual art as a profession? Or, shall we say: What would you be doing if you hadn’t made a commitment to a career in art?

CA: Art is pretty much the only thing I’ve ever been able to see myself doing apart from being in a band...but I can’t play any instruments very well and I don’t have the patience or skill necessary.  My career happened in a really lucky and natural meandering way.  There have been hard times of course, particularly when I first went freelance and had no money and lived on bags of apples and porridge but I love my job so [that love] takes over.  If something else comes up in a different field later on in life I’m open to it.  As long as it’s fun and I can do it okay.

3W: What are some themes you constantly return to and why are you attracted to them?

CA: I like things like magic, witchcraft, space, the apocalypse. What drew me to researching apocalyptic theories initially was how driven by fear and panic people can be.  For instance, when people wear sandwich board signs with “The end is nigh” [written on them]...Everyone is just looking for an answer or claiming to have one.  I like to believe in magic because it makes me feel like life has limitless possibilities and endless dimensions.

3W: If you could magically transport to somewhere else in the world, where would it be, and what would your house look like?

CA: I would live in California, by the sea, right on the beach, and my house would look rustic yet modernly efficient.  And I would have trinkets galore that document my many travels.  The outside would be white wood panelling and perhaps there would be a turret.  I would have a veranda on which to enjoy continental breakfasts and cocktails.

3W: What are your thoughts on true love?

CA: I was a cynic and a non-believer until I experienced it first hand, and now I’m sold.

3W: Anything else you want the world to know?

CA: I find it quite hard to not come off sounding like a dick in interviews and I’m sorry if I do.

We’d like to take this opportunity to let the record state that Chrissie Abbott does not sound like a dick.  She sounds like a dream come true. 

We demand that you seek out her work, though meanwhile, feast on a few more of her heavenly creations:

 

-- Margaux Weisman