Lost in the `Beautiful Era'; artist Christa Kieffer shows her love for the romance of a long ago time in her captivating scenes of the street life and landscapes of La Belle Epoque - artist profile - paintings - Brief Article

Art Business News, May, 2002 by Kathleen Sullivan

Gazing onto the cobblestone streets, the lavish costumes and glowing gas lamps in a Christa Kieffer painting, it's easy to get lost in the nostalgia and beauty of a bygone time. Her images are a soulful collection of styles reflecting unique blends of classicism and Impressionism, and the principal setting of Kieffer's work is La Belle Epoque, "the beautiful era" of 1871 to 1914.

"This was the height of civilization that emphasized cultural and physical everyday pleasures before the disillusionment of World War I. After that, things were never quite as innocent, as lavish, as sensuous and as pleasurable as they were around La Belle Epoque. It was an old-fashioned kind of civilization and cultural layering that culminated at the turn of the century," the artist explained.

Inspired by the unique energy of a society balanced by movement and tranquility, Kieffer captures the romance and excitement with a delicate blend of vibrant color and transitional light. She seamlessly combines the natural light at dusk with traditional gas lanterns and the newly arriving electric light, emphasizing innovations of that time.

Kieffer's signature look plays on light and color and remains authentic regardless of the subject. Her scenes include night festivals in Venice and strolls along the streets of New York but focus primarily on the cafe society of Paris. "Anything that says `yes' to life inspires me, and the French seem particularly good at it," she said.

From the rooftops to the sidewalk cafes, Kieffer's exploration of this magical world is a labor of love. Traveling often to Paris, Kieffer takes numerous photographs and collects turn-of-the century magazines in an effort to absorb the images. The present-day work combine all the original imaging captured in the magazines and what Kieffer believes embodies the essence of this mystical time. "The subject matter just comes," she explained. "I won't live long enough to paint everything I am inspired by or am interested in. I have filing cabinets full of ideas I'd love to explore."

Natural-Born Artist

Kieffer's love of illustrations and pictures began at an early age. "I got a visceral joy out of form and color and in composition, and I knew that when I was in kindergarten. I was born with a love of the visuals," she explained. Since grade school Kieffer made every assignment visual with illustration recalling, "I managed to put art into everything."

Though Kieffer is gifted with an exceptional awareness of and sensitivity to art, her success has not come easily. In spite of her family's objection to her becoming an artist, Kieffer continued to follow her dreams independently, along the way strengthening the very resolve that has allowed her to achieve all that she has to date.

Having left home in Tubingen, Germany, at the age of 18 to study education and language in England and Switzerland, Kieffer immigrated to the United States by herself three years later. "I came to the United States because I knew that somehow everything was possible in this country if you really put your heart into it."

She first arrived in Long Island, N.Y. After a brief stay on the East coast, Kieffer moved to Los Angeles to enroll in the Art Center College of Design. She received a fellowship, initially majoring in illustration and commercial art, but was eventually drawn into the fine arts and ultimately would receive an M.F.A.

Four weeks after graduation, she got her first commercial art assignment from a computer software company and has been able to work as a freelance artist ever since. She has also enjoyed a successful run with poster versions of her work, which are available through Somerset House Publishing and Galaxy of Graphics.

Modern-Day Exploration

Today, Kieffer has moved into the fine art realm with her new company, Chrism Kieffer Studios, which she founded with company president Gary Mitchell last summer. The company debuted her giclee prints and several oils on canvas at Artexpo New York in March to grand success, according to Mitchell.

This new endeavor has also given the artist the opportunity to expand her style, particularly in the direction of turn-of-the century landscape. Looking to broaden her scenery from Parisian street life, she recently undertook the Daytime Pleasures Collection, which recalls daytime scenes at the beach, in the flower market and in other daily activities such as women shopping. Enjoying the expansion of the subject matter, Kieffer decided to take it even further, creating the Grand Tour Collection, an illustration of privileged people embarking on the Grand Tour around the Mediterranean, Spain and the French countryside. "I have nowhere near explored the entire subject matter," she said. "I am still exploring it to its fullest."

Consequently, Kieffer began painting background landscapes, the Italian Lakes for example, which in turn heightened her enthusiasm for pure landscape. Her landscapes, with a nostalgic flavor, are more romantic and pastoral than photographic or abstract.