for Emily
JEAN WALLACE – MSAE THESIS EXHIBITION
Arnheim Gallery
January 31 – February 11, 2011
M-F 10-6, Sat. 11-5
Reception: February 10, 5:30-7:30
untitled, 2010, encaustic, oil, and coffee on wood, 10” x 10” x 1.5
ARTIST STATEMENT
Emily took her last breath on June 26th, 2005. She will always be six. This work was inspired by my time spent with Emily, and an ongoing attempt to make sense of the profound experiences of powerlessness, loss, and grief.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jean Wallace was born in Melrose, lives in Wakefield, and works in Boston, Massachusetts. This body of work is inspired by time spent with her terminally ill niece. Wallace uses a variety of media to explore the profound experiences of powerlessness, loss, and grief and thus demonstrates how process, materials, and imagery can carry equal weight. She meticulously documents the act of growing and cutting her hair in a timeline of drawings, a portfolio of photo etchings, and ultimately, a video performance of the artist having her hair cut for donation. Mixed media drawings on paper serve as a metaphor for the body, as the paper is treated like skin. Encaustic paintings on wood panels are abstract images informed by illness. The building up and peeling away of layers of wax is suggestive of epidermis and the internal body in its translucent, viscous, and tissue-like qualities. Color intentionally plays a significant emotive role in these works, with a palette consisting primarily of muted brown, red, and purple tones.