Mandy Maxwell Mooneyham grew up in one of the many tiny rural towns in Arkansas, attending a school even smaller with no art program. She taught herself to draw and later paint by copying the masters from old library books. With a hunger for art of all types and taught herself both traditional and emerging digital methods. After attending Arkansas State University for printmaking, she went on to find a love for surrealism with the realization of The Chrees. Beginning with her first chree, Such Great Heights in 2009 it went on to be an obsession. It wasn’t until nearly ten years later when she completely devoted her art to this repeated imagery and the word of the Chrees began.
Artist Statement
My work is devoted to a singular entity: the Chree. Trees growing from roots of chairs in ambiguously undefined space. For me, the Chree (chair tree) is the visual representation of our mind, imagination and consciousness; how we can remain grounded in a singular location, but still be growing, branching, reaching. Each person builds a uniquely structured body through experiences and influence, while their mind grows organically into something we can’t always control. Through this lens I can interpret actions and emotions in an often strange, tight parameter.
