Little has a concentration in ceramics and new media, and, after seven semesters at IU Southeast, he will be graduating this spring.
Mainly working with photography, ceramics and new media — art that is accessible anytime, anywhere on majority of digital devices — Little’s artwork is spread out between online publications, print and shows. He promotes his artwork through communication outlets, such as his personal website, Tumblr, Facebook, Flickr, Vimeo and Twitter.
Little’s photography is a cocktail of scenic landscapes, nude women, monster trucks and smoke bombs.
“Whenever someone asks me what I like to photograph, I usually tell them I am not a portrait photographer,” Little said. “I take pictures of landscape but just put people in them.”
Little said, when he takes photographs, he likes to shoot picture angles from his hip.
“I like to go out, and I don’t plan much about my photo shoot, just shoot from the hip and see what happens,” Little said.
Philip Collins, fine arts senior, said he is interested in Little’s work.
“I would describe Chris’ art work as contemporary,” Collins said. “I follow all of his blogs.”
In 2011, Little had photographs featured in Die Zeit Campus, a popular student, German magazine. He also had photographs in the Urban Outfitters Blog and the French online publication The Viewer.
Little’s photography caught the attention of Italian clothing brand We Make Super Denim last fall. His photograph of a nude woman with face paint was chosen to appear on the clothing brand’s 2011 back pocket tags. Little’s art work is featured and given a special section on the brand’s website.
“We are sure you will fall in love with his photos,” We Make Super Denim’s online editors said. “The raw use of film, the visible high grain, the dark imagery, smoke, girls and fireworks — a generally and strongly coherent work documenting youth.”
Jordan Keiffer, a model often photographed by Little and featured on the We Make Super Denim tags, said she loves his photos because they are always fresh.
“You never know what the outcome will be like or what I should expect before we shoot,” Keiffer said.
Over the past couple years, Little’s work has been featured in Vice magazine, Ralph’s Magazine Berlin, IU Southeast Review and Ne Te Proméne Donc Pas Toute Nue.
“I don’t consider my photography capital A art, instead a hobby, but an academic hobby,” Little said.
In fall 2011, Little’s short film “Untitled,” that ran nearly five minutes, was featured in the fourth annual Kentucky Short Film and Video Showcase.
“In this film, I was very interested in exploring our viewing experience in two worlds: the world of information transmitted digitally and the world of nature,” Little said.
Little expressed his views on video and new media.
“I like installations — performance pieces based off technology — because they are dynamic,” Little said. “There is always different space, a different theater, there is always something new.”
Recently, Little said his favorite form of art is performance-based documentation.
“One of my major influences when it comes to this is Francis Alÿs,” Little said.
Francis Alÿs is a Belgian artist whose work practices the interdisciplinary space of art, architecture and social practice.
Little’s art submission for his BFA senior project was an example of his performance-based documentation art. After four months of creating nearly 100 ceramic mugs, Little documented these mugs shattering as a hanging cinder block crashed into them. With one chance to get the video right, Little said this was a risky and high adrenaline piece.
“I like happy accidents,” Little said. “I guess you could say embracing imperfections and letting things happen. I like when I’m doing an art piece, and I don’t know what’s going to happen, and it’s out of my control.”
Little is currently applying to a variety of art schools across the nation to pursue a master’s degree in new media.
By AMIRA ASAD
Staff
aasad@umail.iu.edu
