“A lot of people feel desperate out there,” Lane says. “And on a humanistic level, I get an idea of why people feel the way they do—they just feel helpless.”
It’s unusual for Modern Surrealist painter Christopher Lane to take such a large break from exhibitions.
Lane is no stranger to sharing the stories he weaves together on his canvases. In fact, 2020 started with a show in Minnesota, followed by acceptances to Art Fields in Lake City and Spoleto in Charleston.
Then, the pandemic hit.
Since the start of COVID-19, the painter has stayed mostly at home, quarantining with his partner, Lisa, and dogs, Loki and Samson. But that doesn’t mean he stopped painting. So, when friend and gallery-owner Rob Shaw asked Lane to do a show in his space, the fragments of United We Stand formed quickly.
The collection is a mix of pieces old and new, and either way, ever relevant. The 52-year-old artist has been painting in response to social and political events for decades, both as a way of working through his own mind and of sharing those inner workings. In recent months, this has only become truer.
“You know, I look around and ask what’s the disconnect,” Lane says. “I don’t understand the disconnect.”
Originally, Lane had titled this most recent collection Divided We Fall as he responded to this increasing disconnect in our country. However, as he continued to paint and watch, which he often does as he watches the news, his mindset shifted.
“I want to emphasize a unity amongst us, regardless of party, ethnicity, race, religion, and gender,” Lane shares, “My work observes the pitfalls of allowing division to thrive and grow amongst a people.”
This body of work builds on top of seeds sewn in his Resist Division exhibition last year, new vines and tendrils wrapping around sensitive and poignant issues.
“It’s election year, we are in the middle of a world pandemic, and we are so busy fighting amongst ourselves that we are no longer paying attention to them,” Lane says, “that small, yet powerful group of people who control our world.”
Lane has always spoken for those small individuals, held an eye in his head and his heart for those details in both people and their surroundings.
“A lot of people feel desperate out there,” Lane says. “And on a humanistic level, I get an idea of why people feel the way they do—they just feel helpless.”
These concerns have pervaded not only Lane’s work but his life, the product of a military household whose father served in three wars and a veteran of the navy himself.
“My greatest desire is that my paintings reflect the one truth, we are all the same. We are all one. And United We Stand.”
Some fights exist within physical places, but this fight traverses boundaries. With this exhibit, Lane desires to speak to all, to promote inclusivity and share humanity regardless of the lines that often separate.
“I like to paint to where someone in another country can look at my work and enjoy it,” Lane says. “You know, they don't need to speak English. They don't need to understand my colloquial behavior to get it.”
“The Grifters”, a featured piece from the show, conveys this desire in a Tower of Babel-esque push and pull of color, conversation, and performance—a struggle we all suffer the repercussions of.
The Grifters by Christopher Lane
“My greatest desire is that my paintings reflect the one truth, we are all the same. We are all one. And United We Stand,” Lane concludes.
United We Stand opens this Friday, November 6th, and runs until December 1st. The opening reception Friday evening begins at 6pm at the Rob Shaw Gallery in West Columbia. Masks, social distancing, and safety precautions will be in place.
To follow Lane’s work during and after the show, follow his Facebook page, “Christopher Lane Art,” and check out his website for available works and prints: https://www.laneartworks.com/