Artist : Josey Jessee
Country : United States
Email: joseyjessee@gmail.com
Website: https://joseyjessee.com/
Bio:
Josey Jessee (b. 2000) is an artist and college student currently living in Savannah, GA. Jessee was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, until she left to attend college at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2018.
Thanks to her family, Jessee has been immersed in the fine arts since birth. Her mother is an art collector and her father a photographer. She was encouraged to create by her parents and, as such, has been making paintings since she was four. This art-positive environment ultimately led her to study many different art disciplines in college before finally settling on painting as her major.
Jessee mainly works with acrylic in abstract ways. She employs a strong use of color in her work, resulting in vibrant compositions. Besides traditional media, she has started to work with new media art, mainly digital and video.
Jessee graduated in the Summer of 2022 from SCAD with a BFA in Painting. Jessee is still deciding where she plans to move next. However, regardless of where she ends up, her cat Bread will be with her, and so will her art.
Statement:
As a young adult, having grown up with social media and advertising, I cannot help but become influenced by the idea that perfection is achievable. Growing up, I have constantly considered myself different or “other” from my peers. This inseparable part of my identity has caused me to strive for perfection throughout my life. If I was perfect, maybe I could blend into the crowd. If I were perfect, perhaps all my issues would lessen. The work I am creating is a visual representation of how the goal of trying to achieve perfection—in our work and in ourselves—is incompatible with the messiness of life.
I accomplish this in two ways: first, by using white acrylic panels that have been laser cut to create perfect geometric-shaped holes, and second, by creating abstract expressionist paintings on panels that represent the chaos in our lives. The process of assembling the works is part of the experience. While building my work, it becomes apparent that even the acrylic panel is not perfect. The closer you look, the more the defects stand out.
Ultimately I’ve come to realize that even perfection is flawed. By assembling these two components into a whole piece, the viewer is confronted with the abstract concept of perfectionism put into physical terms. I want viewers to consider how this concept of perfection affects their daily lives when viewing my work.
Artwork : Triangle Peg #3
Medium: Mixed media and acrylic panel on wood panel
Dimensions: 12″ x 12″ x 12″
