jessie barns
about the artist
|
Jessie Barnes is an artist currently living and working in Dallas, TX. She holds an MFA from the University of North Texas and a BFA from the University of North Florida. Barnes identifies primarily as a printmaker, but typically employs painting, drawing, and photography in her work. Recently, the artist was a one-year Artist In Residence at Tarrant County College South Campus. Additionally, Barnes has been a Graduate Assistant at the Printmaking Research Institute of North Texas, a Teaching Assistant and Fellow for foundations and printmaking courses at UNT, and has served as a Studio Assistant at Penland School of Crafts, University of North Florida, and Pensacola State College. Her work can be viewed at Beaudry Gallery in Dallas, or online at jessiebarnesart.com.
|
artist statement
|
My work is driven by uncertainty. It stems from personal memories and experiences, but taps into universal themes of adolescence, beauty, power, and fear. As a Florida native, this body of work oozes with tropical fervor, though its origins are found in feelings of uneasiness and deeply embedded childhood memories. Tangled palmettos and invasive vines serve as metaphors for instances in our lives when innocence turns to fear, while color lures the viewer closer. Ultimately, I present settings, objects, and environments that can be viewed wholly as a sanctuary or reminder of the past. These prints feel at times fragile and vulnerable, but they also possess a dark and complex sense of power that mirrors personal strengths and weaknesses.
|
