Bio

Born in San Diego, California, Christen Sperry-Garcia moved to Milwaukee, WI where she attended school.  She was fathered by a psychiatrist, writer, and professor, and mothered by a Mexican-American dancer, who have both highly influenced her work and interests.  Sperry-Garcia received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 2000.  Following graduation, she worked in the private and public education system in New Mexico and California. She spent three of those years developing and managing a mentoring program for underserved students at a tuition-free, independent, private middle school in San Diego.  Sperry-Garcia received her M.F.A. at California State University, Long Beach in 2009, and currently works for video artist Bill Viola. Her work has been presented in various venues, spaces, and museums including Sushi Performance in San Diego, Bushwick Site 09 in Brooklyn, NY,  San Diego Museum of Art, and the University Art Museum in Long Beach.  In  both 2007 and 2008, she was co-curator and coordinator of the annual  Greater Los Angeles MFA Exhibition at Cal State, Long Beach. She often collaborates with her partner and artist Brian Dick, and currently lives in Long Beach, CA.

Artist Statement

I am interested in a broad spectrum of movement and dance that is utilitarian, ritualistic and pedestrian.  My practice is collaborative, and serves as a catalyst for making friends and building community.  From shaking hands and “high-fiving” museum visitors as a costumed mascot to tucking adults into their beds, my projects engage with people.  These potentially socially awkward situations are often humorous, and serve to heighten awareness of the social interactions we engage in everyday.  Written and applied research are an essential part of my process, and in some cases, constitute the work.  In investigating bedtime rituals for Tuck-in Project, I interviewed over 50 people and tucked over 25 people into bed.  For Relational Traffic Studies, I studied maps, contemporary globalization, human trafficking, and observed vehicular traffic in person, via You Tube videos and web cams situated in various parts of the world.