About this Artist
In the fall of 2000, Jagers had this to say about his work:
"To grow up during a time when the production of art is seemingly standardless has left artists of my generation to cope with unparalleled freedom and the interesting problem of having to choose an illusion in the face of nothing. Despite this freedom, I have refused to be cavalier about committing myself to some sleek slogan. However, I am finally realizing that the concept of “illusion” itself is a good starting point. I enjoy engineering photo-realistic effects that simulate reality because it is a nonverbal way of thinking about my surroundings. This allows for horizontal shifts in thinking, that are not bound by logic, which serve to better apprehend the mysterious valences of phenomenal reality and the metaphor it elicits.
How to choose the matter of this subject is a constant dilemma for me. While I continue to walk around with my digital camera, arresting anything that might have poetic resonance, the narratives that I produce are still disparate and incongruent. While this fragmentation might be interesting to some, my goal is to eventually discover some hidden webs of connection between my images that will conflate into a more singular insight about the world and how I relate to it."
In 2001, Chris Jagers was one of the youngest artists ever to show work at Valley House Gallery. During his time spent in grad school, Jagers' style became more abstract, and he became increasingly interested in the relationship between technology and art. After finishing his MFA in 2003, Jagers went on to develop a groundbreaking software that updates the process by which students submit their portfolios to universities.
Resume
Born: 1978, Plano, Texas
Education:
2003 M.F.A., University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
2000 B.F.A., Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
Exhibitions:
2004 “Altered States,” University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas (curated by John Pomara
2001 “Christopher Jagers Paintings,” Valley House Gallery, Dallas Texas
2000 “New Texas Talent,” Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, Texas
2000 BFA Qualifying Exhibition, Pollock Gallery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
1999 Bob Hope Theatre, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
1998 Doolin Gallery, Dallas, Texas
1997 Lowell Collins Gallery, Houston, Texas
1997 Bathhouse Cultural Center, Dallas, Texas
1996 “Taos Summer Exhibition,” Doolin Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Publications:
Christine Biederman, “No Fashion Victim He: It isn’t all puffery and self-indulgence out there, as Christopher Jagers’ work attests” Dallas Observer, August 30 - September 5, 2001, vol. 965, p. 65, illustration.
Mike Daniel, “Christopher Jagers at Valley House”, The Dallas Morning News, Guide, August 31, 2001,p. 62, illustration.
The Dallas Morning News, Richardson Section: Your Guide, Hot Tickets, Thursday, August 30, 2001, p. 8R, illustration.
Quin Mathews, “Art Matters,” WRR Radio FM 101, Dallas, Texas, August 26, 2001, and August 30, 2001.
Janet Kutner, “12 young artists win DMA grants”, The Dallas Morning News, May 26, 2001, p. 5C.
Mike Daniel, “New Texas Talent”, The Dallas Morning News, Guide, August 4, 2000, p. 53, illustration.
Honors:
2001 Recipient of the Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund Award given through the Dallas Museum of Art
Public Collections:
The Christopher Parr Library, Plano, Texas
No items to show.