jessielawson's Profile

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Jessie Lawson Artist Statement

Every piece of art I create, regardless of the medium in which I'm working, represents a special, slightly weird world, inhabited by hybrid human/animal creatures that are generally having a good time. That's the place that my imagination inhabits, and it's the source of all my inspiration.
Some of my creatures show up in large canvases. Others appear in mixed-media pieces or collages, some of which are very small. (Using collage techniques, I produced a full deck of cards: fifty-two plus two jokers.) Others pop out of their frame to become doll-like creatures, made from fabric, paperclay, and any other material that comes to hand.
This is unabashedly playful art: I do what I do for the joy of it. I enjoy borrowing from the art of the past, playing with different period styles--from medieval manuscript illumination to early modern art painting--and with an array of familiar scenes, images, and symbols. At the same time, I'm always trying to open a window into my own personal visionary space, hoping that it gives pleasure to others, as well.
Along with the fun, I consider doing art to be an important social activity. We test the quality of our own social reality against the better worlds we're capable of imagining. Even these crazy little animal-people can help us learn how to live more happily, more humanely, and more wisely.

Born on February 8

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