Caris Reid, twenty-six, lives and paints in a high-ceilinged space in Greenwich Village, not far from Bob Dylan’s first New York apartment. She mixes her paints in dozens of glass candle votives spread across the floor. She also writes regularly for the arts and culture journal Dossier. She professes shyness, though I have never seen it. Only brightness, warmth, and a certain amount of whimsy. She thinks of herself as an observer, yet to see her across a crowded room–strikingly tall, swan-like–one imagines she spends a fair amount of time as the observed as well. She currently has two paintings in a group show at the National Arts Club, curated by Michael Martin.
The Rumpus: You have two paintings in this show. “Catatonic” and “Under Said and Over Sung.” Tell me a little bit about them.
Caris Reid: They are imaginary portraits of these two girls, the Fox sisters, who I became fascinated with. They lived in upstate New York in the 19th century and when they were teenagers they started holding séances in their little town. They became famous as mediums and people came from all over the country to see the séances-out of revere, skepticism, and just pure entertainment. This whole spiritualist movement kind of grew out of it. But eventually the public grew suspicious of the sisters and they both ended up as these tragic alcoholics.
Rumpus: What drew you to them?
Reid: Well, I’m really curious about the supernatural. And you know, back then, women had very little power and here were these girls who had a tremendous amount of power who people believed were mediums, and could communicate with the dead. People turned to them for insight into their lives and what stocks to invest in. And they became celebrities at a time when so few women were in the spotlight. Which is amazing. But honestly, this whole story I’m telling you behind the painting, it’s not that important. I’m totally happy with people not knowing anything about the painting except what they see.
Rumpus: So what does it mean when you say they are “imaginary portraits”?
Reid: Oh, well, the way the actual Fox sisters looked didn’t interest me, and it wasn’t the way they looked in my head, but I knew I wanted to paint them. And I was watching this French film called The Escapees, and realized the two lead actresses looked exactly how I imagined the sisters to look. So I took stills form the film and cast the actresses as my Fox Sisters.
Rumpus: The girl in “Catatonic” is so beautiful, but her eyes are really haunting. She’s painted against a backdrop of giant flowers that are almost too perfect looking to be real flowers. Is it meant to be wallpaper?
Reid: I’m not sure where the flowers come from. Yeah, they look like a pattern, not like flowers in a field. It’s kind of like the interior of her mind. I like the idea that we’re gazing into her head and there’s nothing there really, just these flowers, keeping her in a kind of frozen trance like state.
Rumpus: Your paintings have an almost blurred look. Like slightly under developed photographs.
Reid: I work with inks and gouache, which are water-based, unpredictable and can be hard to control. I love that. The color palette is pretty much muted pastels, which I like because I’m fascinated by ambiguity. Things—thoughts, feelings, dreams—in transit. The spaces in-between. Pastels lend themselves well to my work because they are the colors of in-between. I want to create an ethereal, fluttering look.
Rumpus: I’m curious about where that comes from.
Reid: Oh, God…
Rumpus: Caris, when you interviewed me about my film Shrink, you psychoanalyzed me.
Reid: Ok, ok. (laughs) Well, my father works in the hotel business, so we moved around a lot when I was growing up. I was born in Washington, DC, and then lived in Boston, Chicago, and Austin. We moved to Dallas when I was fourteen. I went to eight or nine schools, lived in twelve different houses, and like, seven hotels. Moving around so much when you’re young, you develop a strange relationship with the past. It was like everything you knew to be solid before disappeared each time you moved. So I think I became fascinated by the disappearing act. And things in my work are always dissolving away, slipping through your fingers. And I dunno, I think very young, I became very suspicious of the outside world. It was always changing on me. So I started cultivating a strong inner life, and maybe my images are fluttering and fleeting, but I’m in control of them.
Rumpus: It’s hard for me to picture you in Texas. Has living in New York had an influence on your work?
Reid: It’s hard to say. I mean, I’m not terribly interested in painting the physical world, so in that sense, no. I’ve been very influenced by the people I’ve met in New York. They keep me motivated to work harder, and to share my ideas, not just keep it all in my head. As far as Texas goes, I never really fit in. I always had fantasies of running away. (laughs) I did run away from school once, when I was fourteen. My dad dropped me off one morning and I hid in the bushes as everyone was going in, then I walked away.
Rumpus: How far did you get?
Reid: I walked around for like an hour and a half. Then I walked home. My mom was in the driveway unloading groceries. She made me some tea then drove me back to school.
Rumpus: And years later you’re influenced by a film called The Escapees. Interesting.
Reid: Actually, I did a painting a coupe years ago called “Runaway.” It’s of a kid in the middle of the woods surrounded by toys. It was in a show.
Rumpus: Did it sell?
Reid: Yeah. (laughs) My parents bought it.
See more of Caris’ art on her website.
11 responses
Very interesting artwork, and indeed, a very interesting artist. However, considering that a little investigative digging uncovers that Caris Reid has previously interviewed Thomas Moffett to be a wee bit disingenuous. Like a Charlie Kaufman script, say.
I checked out your website, Caris. I really like your paintings!
@Thomas Netherland: This interview not only mentions that interview, but also links to it, so it’s not disingenuous.
“Rumpus: Caris, when you interviewed me about my film Shrink, you psychoanalyzed me.”
Those paintings are beautiful.
@Isaac Fitzgerald: A buried comment within the interview does not fully expose the issues of disingenuity which arises when friends interview friends. Friends don’t let friends interview friends, in other words.
But I’m not complaining. The work is beautiful. I just felt cheated when I found out these two, interviewer and subject, were related in more than a professional sense.
Not interesting artwork or an interesting artist. I find it hard to believe that anyone would bother “interviewing” this artist if they weren’t friends with her. There is so much real talent out there!!! “Harry” was absolutely correct. And I’m glad that Rumpus posted his comment. There had to be more negative remarks than his though I know friends like to protect friends. But I think Rumpus and Thomas Moffett should be more careful about maintaining their credibility and discernment. Ego maniacs with art spaces are not relevant or revolutionary in the art world. And New York is definitely tire of people like this. No one cares that you ran away from school when you were little. It doesn’t make you or your rudimentary paintings worthy of press. And it doesn’t pain us that ahe didnt “fit in” – though I bet she did, and all too well, and just didn’t want to. Argh!!!!!!
David,
We moderate comments here at The Rumpus for two reasons: to filter out spam the automated filter doesn’t catch, and to reduce personal attacks. But I find it funny that because you don’t like this artist’s work, you believe we must have censored other comments bashing this artist as well. I don’t know if we did or not–I’m not the only editor with comment approval power–but I’d suggest that it’s at least as likely that Reid’s work evokes an array of responses, both positive and negative. Yours is not the only correct response–in fact, the personal attacks make you seem petty and small by comparison.
Dear Harry and David,
To like or not like a painting or a film or a record or any work of art is the great right of every engaged audience member. It is a lovely thing. But to call someone a poseur is a small and easy thing. It is an endeavor which requires no talent. You can sincerely not like something, but to mock sincerity itself seems sad. Then again you mocked Bob Dylan, so none of this is surprising. As to my friendship with Ms. Reid, I make no apologies for it.
I find Ms. Reid’s imagery evocative and appreciate how the medium further enhances the sense of mystery hovering beneath and over the figures. By explaining the transiency of her child and young adulthood, it lends a poetic awareness to the already psychologically compelling work. I look forward to seeing how her career evolves.
to Mr. Moffett: Number one-it’s not sporting to censor me by removing my comment and then scold me and then block me from commenting again in a response to your scold. That is just plain cheap. Bob Dylan would be shocked (ha ha)to have his name attached in a name-dropping way to a third party in a naive try to enhance their cachet. I have never mocked Mr. Zimmerman (that may have been point two, but, oh well). Number two-I have worked in the N.Y.C. art world for a number of years and have seen all sorts of publicity for emerging artists. However there are some types of boosterism that do the artist a disservice by framing them in a way that makes them seem like (as you yourself suggest) a “poeur”. That is the fault of the writer, not the artist. Votive candles? Right… Number three-thank you Mr. Spears for explaining your “moderation” policy. Number four-Mr. Moffett seems over defensive. I say this just by the swipes he himself takes at commentors of the type that supposedly he himself condemns. Maybe it is a bad idea to publish an interview with a friend and have certain expectations as to how it will be received. Number five-I enjoy The Rumpus. I also enjoy engaging criticism ie. James Wood on Chang-Rae-Lee’s “The Surrendered”. I could have picked Ms.Reid’s work apart in a similar manner, but refrained. And yes, let us all not have to apologize for friendships or opinions. Hope this one makes it through. Thanks…
There definitely isn’t anything interesting in the paintings but a few of the comments here are incredible! Harry is scary but we need intelligent and discerning people like this. lol. great forum i stumbled upon, though fairly late.
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