Kristen Regan
Bio
Kristen Regan received a Master of Fine Art degree at Savannah College of Art and Design and a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Over the years travel has been a driving force in her work. She has traveled extensively through Europe as well as to India, Egypt, and Venezuela and is currently an Assistant Professor of Photography at Pensacola State College. Her work has been featured in galleries in Puerto Rico, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and Colorado.
Plastisphere
The term Plastisphere was created to reference the ecosystem of microbial organisms that form on floating plastic. These drifting habitats have the potential to host dangerous pathogens and leach toxic chemicals into their aquatic environments.
Over the years my work has utilized ephemeral materials and organic forms to reference the cycle of life while my newest series explores the antithesis of the cycle of life. Plastic is engineered to last forever and the overabundance of single-use plastics has created a ceaseless tidal wave of trash. Plastic pollution has become a global epidemic with over 8 million metric tons entering the world’s oceans every year killing millions of marine creatures.
Scientists recently discovered that plankton has begun ingesting plastic thereby introducing it into our own food chain through bioaccumulation. Phytoplankton is the base of the marine food chain and it is one of Earth’s most critical organisms responsible for producing half of the world’s oxygen. Images of these unusual microscopic creatures with their exquisite glass-like anatomy fascinated my curiosity and led me to manipulate discarded plastic to try and emulate their delicate translucent structures.
A variety of plastic bottles were collected, cut and melted to transform the vessel into a more organic shape. The resulting pieces were shot on a black background with a ring light to emulate the look of Darkfield Microscopy of phytoplankton specimens. The vivid colors presented in the Plastisphere series evoke the bioluminescent characteristics displayed by many species of dinoflagellates. With these images, it is my objective to engage and captivate the viewer with the delicate sculptural qualities that plastics can exhibit while raising awareness of the devastating effect plastic is having on our environment.
Binary Oppositions
The Binary Opposition series was shot on medium format film and printed in the darkroom. The positive and negative black and white images presented in the circular format is reminiscent of the yin-yang. This ancient symbol is reinterpreted utilizing fluids to allow the opposites to complete each other.
Awards
2014 Teaching Excellence Award – presented at the NISOD Conference in Austin, TX
2008 Publication Award – Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, MD
Publications
2013 Featured artist – Pensacola Magazine Arts and Culture issue - Pensacola, FL
2008 “Art and Addiction” – Johns Hopkins University Publication - Baltimore, MD
2008 Promotional Print – Savannah College of Art and Design
2008 “Due South” – South East Society for Photographic Education
2007 “Silverworks” – Savannah College of Art and Design
2007 Cover Art for SCAD Open House invitation
Selected Exhibitions
2011 “Connections II” – Two-Person Exhibition – Mobile, AL
2010 “Culture Club” – Featured Artist – Pensacola Museum of Art - Pensacola, FL
2008 “Thin Skin” – Solo Exhibition – TruSpace Gallery – Savannah, GA
2005 “New York Night Life” – Two-Person Exhibition – Funhouse Gallery - Brooklyn, NY
2000 “Connections” – Two-Person Exhibition - Mississippi Gulf Coast CC- Gautier, MS
1998 SOHO Gallery –Two-Person Exhibition - Pensacola, FL
Juried and small group Exhibitions
2012 “One Life 2012” Artist Wanted 3rd annual photography competition
2012 “Firmly Rooted” – M S Rezny Gallery – Lexington, Kentucky
2012 “Still Life: The Art of Arrangement” - Kiernan Gallery – Lexington, Virginia
2012 “Art for Life’s Sake” – Desotorow Gallery – Savannah, GA
2011 “Cinco Banderas” – Artel Gallery – Pensacola, FL
2010 “Digital Graffiti” – world’s first projection art festival- Alys Beach, FL
2009 “Human Canvas" – Center for Fine Art Photography - Ft. Collins, CO
2008 “Art and Addiction” – Johns Hopkins University – San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008 “Art and Addiction” –Johns Hopkins University – Rockville, MD
2008 “Alexander Ink” – Juried by Holly McCullough - Alexander Hall – Savannah, GA
2008 “Silverworks” – River Club – Savannah, GA
2007 “Due South” SPESE Exhibit Juried by Sam Wang – River Club – Savannah, GA
2007 “Nether Regions” – TruSpace Gallery – Savannah, GA
2005 Video Collaboration – Funhouse Gallery - Brooklyn, NY
2005 Photographs featured on the Learning Channels “What Not to Wear” – New York, NY
2004 “Narcissist?” -6th floor School of Visual Arts Gallery – New York, NY
2001 The Artbar – Grand Opening – Pensacola, FL
1995 Cinco Banderas - Purchase Award - (Kobacker Private Collection) - Pensacola, FL
