arthead sf

arthead sf blog was created to bring readers the meaning behind the art. These are not critiques or interviews with artists. Each feature is written entirely by the artist, revealing only what they feel and want readers to know about the featured piece. If you see a piece of art you'd like to know the meaning behind...email me. And subscribe to my blog below to get updates when new features are posted!


Web www.artheadsf.blogspot.com

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Jenn Porreca


"The Aftermath"...a live painting piece from August 2006, 111 Minna
14inches tall x 48 inches wide
Mixed media on found wood board from San Francisco

"The Aftermath is an exploration in live art completed in August at 111 Minna Gallery in a matter of just 4 hours. This piece was particularly interesting for me to conceive of and execute on as i found myself interacting with the crowd during my live painting. During live painting sets these days, i attempt to interact with the crowd, get them angry, sad, emotional, whatever, and then make peace with them as i finish my work, all in a non-verbal visual interaction. I will paint imagery, erase it, over and over again, like sandstone mandelas, letting each image go until i am finished or satisfied. Oftentimes, however, people get attached to the imagery i create, and when erased have quite a virile reaction. Once i even had a woman yell at me for erasing a painting. Over 4 different paintings were done and erased on this wood board throughout the evening for this particular piece, and this final image was the result.

The Aftermath piece is an exploration in themes of the wars I as an artist have with myself while using my creative medium to interact with the physical world, yet turned out into a dreamlike reality. My women are scarred, human, yet, impenetrable and inhuman at the same time. I suppose in a sense my work is a reflection of art as an extention of myself. Through it i feel fearless, yet while creating it i battle myself to continue.

Aesthetically, I also find myself exploring the familial history of those closest to me, and the imagery of cartoons from the 20s, manga, and superhero status that few females seem to achieve in the comic book world, but combining that exploration with themes of history through old found wood boards from historical houses in San Francisco. My live painting performance in August at 111 Minna was a special evening for me, as i have long waited to show my work at that Gallery, and i had a crowd of people who seemed to be so moved my painting and erasing of imagery on wood, that they actually got upset with me when i would wipe over what they thought was a finished work. I felt myself battling with myself creatively to not shrivel up while painting live and also with people getting angry and walking away when i would wipe down the board, but then letting go of the outcome that they would come back and see the final piece, "The Aftermath" of free flow creation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the creation of this piece, live painting is much more of a free process than at home, and as it turns out the crowd came back around for the final image shown here. My pieces painted at home are more conceptual, whereas my live art...well, sometimes you just have to let go of the outcome."

By Jenn Porreca
http://www.jennporreca.com/

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home