Christopher Sloan Studio

When asked to describe my artwork I use the term conceptual realism. It is conceptual because there is always an idea behind the image. It is realism because my style tends to be more realistic than not. This approach, both conceptual and real, naturally leads to tension. That tension is what a friend once referred to as a “Renaissance meets Dali” quality. I hope, however, that my art is not as elusive as Dali’s nor as staid as some Renaissance art. I am a big fan of Renaissance art and artists. Part of my interest comes from the way art of this period was layered with meaning, like poetry. The other part comes from my respect for the artists who were experimenting with a variety of techniques and technologies as a way to deliver their poetic messages more effectively. Like many of them, I enjoy incorporating proportion, perspectives, and layers of meaning in my art. Like some of the Renaissance artists, I am also fascinated by science and technology and believe that our future depends on more of us understanding more about the universe we live in. My art explores some of the many dimensions of science in an effort to engage the public with these fascinating areas that are often challenging to comprehend. I work primarily in oils, but my toolkit includes many digital tools, such as 3D modeling and 3D printing. Much of my career has been in graphic design. I was the art director of several publications, including National Geographic Magazine. I have written feature articles for the magazine and many children’s books on science. I am also interested in science illustration and information visualization and have written and conducted workshops on these topics. I teach classes in Science Visualization, Visual Storytelling, Information Visualization, Perception in Design and Animal Anatomy at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the Art Academy University in San Francisco.