MUNTHE ART MONDAY: CHRIS1MILLION

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Christina Jensen, but as a photographer and artist, I use the name chris1million. I work both digital, analogue, and with photo collages.

I am also a trained journalist and hold a master's degree in IT. As a journalist I always have to communicate objectively, but I use photography to take an active stance on the world we live in.

My largest work so far is the equality project 50/50 - an exhibition and book that consists of 51 portraits of non-male Danish musicians. The work is about diversity and representation and is a visual commentary on the enormously skewed gender balance that exists on the Danish music scene. I created 50/50 in collaboration with photographer Merle Mejlby, and it has been exhibited at venues around Denmark, including DR Koncerthuset, VEGA, and Musikhuset in Aarhus. The exhibition is about to be included in the permanent collection of the music museum Ragnarock, thereby becoming part of Danish cultural heritage. I am very proud of that.

My next major art project will be about nature, and therefore I am currently busy traveling aroud Denmark taking pictures of beautiful, old oak trees.

I also create analog photo collages, where I print pictures from my own archive, cut them into small pieces, and create new, abstract photo collages out of them. I am particularly fond of my ocean collage, which is made of pictures of the sea that I have shot around the world over the past 15 years. It is very handheld and fun to do, and a very different way to work with photography. In general, I’m a big fan of anything that can get me away from the computer.

Christina is wearing Sussima blazer and Sumatra pants.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

I am a big fan of the American photographer Annie Leibovitz. She has a fantastic career and is a great role model. She is excellent at creating shots that are both grand and intimate. She prefers to work with natural light and is not a gearhead - I feel the same way myself.

I am also very inspired by Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine. She has enormous power, and there is something raw and honest about her music and visual expression. I think she is a good example of a modern, free woman.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

It’s hard to say what is most challenging about being a WOMAN in the arts. Often the obstacles are subtle and not very explicit.

One thing I find challenging is negotiating prices. It takes courage to put a value on your work. It is probably difficult for many men as well, but I think that men, in general, are a bit bolder. It is still a learning process for me. And it doesn't help that it's almost always middle-aged men I have to negotiate with.

In general, I often find that men are better at boosting their own ego. I usually like to call a spade a spade and I am always very careful not to come across as "more" than I am - and that is not always the best way to get ahead.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

Being a woman has undoubtedly a significant impact on my approach to things and how I prioritize my work. 50/50, my large project on equality, testifies to how skewed a world we still live in - even in Denmark. I always thought that we had equality in Denmark, but the project put many things in perspective for me, and it made it very clear to me that men and women do not have the same opportunities. Although we largely have equality on paper, there are many structural challenges that prevent it from being so in practice. Before we can obtain equality, we have to realise, that we are far from it today.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

I feel a great love for the world around me, and I hope that shines through in my work. I have a great curiosity about life and the people and opportunities I encounter on my path. I want to do good for others, and I want to use my art to push for a more equal and sustainable world.

Christina is wearing Sussima blazer and Sumatra pants.

Foto credit: Nellie Møberg