Check Out Kristi Klein’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Klein

Hi Kristi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in Culver City in the 70s, art was a huge part of my childhood. From painting to ceramics, some of my favorite childhood memories were being able to be fully immersed in an art project. The culture was so much different back then and there was an appreciation and fostering for creativity in kids at an early age that seems to be different today. Overall, I’d say it was a very fun and immersive time to grow up. Without technology, you really had to make your own fun in those days. Art was always my outlet for that. I recently found a collage piece I’d made when I was around 7 or 8 years old while digging through a box of old stuff in my garage that I hadn’t looked at in years. Little did I know at that age that it would be a medium I’d go back to so much later in my life. I guess you could call it my “early work” of sorts.

I went on to study Art History at the University of California, Berkeley and went on to pursue several different careers such as wardrobe styling for films in the early 90s. I then got married and started a family. All of my creativity became focused on raising my beautiful daughter, Cameron. As she went on to college and amidst the pandemic, I found myself needing some kind of creative outlet. I got very into vintage shopping around this time and started collecting vintage magazine, books, and other ephemera that reminded me of my childhood in 60s and 70s Los Angeles and had all of these wonderful, vibrant images in them. One day, I started thinking about ideas on how to repurpose them and how cool it would be to turn something old that would most likely be thrown away into something new. That’s when I started creating my collages and loved the way I was able to make new meaning out of old photos and ads by cutting them up and arranging them with other pieces. I started posting them on social media in late 2021 and it’s quickly grown from there.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My mother died from cancer when I was 11, and I learned from a very young age that life throws many unexpected things in your path. I’ve learned to become comfortable with change, having also navigated both a divorce and a remarriage later in life. I’ve realized the one thing I can always count on is my creativity and going back to the things I loved in my childhood to keep me sane. I think all creatives need to invest in themselves and their process. If there’s anything I’ve ever learned, it’s that artists go through many ebbs and flows in their lives. There will be periods where you create a lot and then periods when you need to take a step back and replenish and then the cycle starts all over again and continues just like that. Life throws so many things at you and simply surviving day to day can be hard but to me, spending your time doing what you love will always make this a little easier.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My focus is analog collage. All of my pieces are created using images from vintage magazines and ephemera that I’ve hand cut and curated. I spend a great deal of time sourcing vintage materials at flea markets, antique stores, and online and I’m always on the hunt for new things to use in my work. My pieces are mainly inspired by my childhood in Southern California, specifically Los Angeles in the 1960s and 70s. I’ve been drawn to pop culture icons such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. The one thing I love about collage is that despite the fact that a lot of the images I use are old or well-known, there’s always something new to say based on how you put them together. It often feels as if there are endless combinations on how to arrange a piece, and some works take weeks or even months to finalize. Yet, there’s something thrilling about finally feeling like I’ve cracked the right combination.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The thing I love about Los Angeles is the culture. It’s the breeding ground for so many things from art to film to music to inclusivity. I’ve always had the feeling that you can be anyone you want in LA and that the possibilities are endless. You never know who you’re going to walk next to on the street or even who you’ll be in a year from now. I think it’s a city that opens a lot of room for growth. That, and we have the most wonderful weather. It’s hard to be down waking up to sunshine most days.

The thing I like least about Los Angeles these days is the traffic. We didn’t have that while I was growing up. It didn’t take hours and hours just to get to one place. There was so much accessibility and freedom we all took for granted back then. I’m also concerned about the preservation of the city’s history. Everywhere you look it seems as though another minimalistic shopping mall is being built. I think that is why I do what I do. I want to preserve a piece in time of Los Angeles’ history.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daysgonebycollage