Jamie's Gallery Practices Blog: April 2015

Jamie Winter

Dr. Leanne Gilbertson

ARTZ 406: Gallery Practices

25 April 2014

Curatorial Statement: A Space of One’s Own

Women have been identified as muses and subject matter for artists and writers everywhere for centuries. As Virginia Woolf cleverly states, “Women have burnt like beacons in all the works of all the poets from the beginning of time. Indeed if woman had no existence save in the fiction written by men, one would imagine her a person of the utmost importance; very various; heroic and mean; splendid and sordid; beautiful and hideous in the extreme; as great as a man, some would say greater.” This distinction plays on the fact that women are primarily seen through the eyes of men, still, though their part in the artistic communities continues to grow. Woolf goes on the state that in order for a woman to be able to step off the pedestal they have occupied for years and become successful writers themselves they must have three things: an education, money, and a room of one’s own. This creation of individualized space allows the writer to fully develop her own creative mind away from the influence of those around her. By doing so, the female writer can begin to visualize how she fits in to a world that is predominantly male.

The same can be said for female artists. To find a place within the art community a female artist must first establish where she fits into her surrounding space. When it comes to the personalization of internal spaces, artists Breanne Jarrett and Jamie LaRie Winter explore the ways in which they fit into classically feminine spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms. Their studies reflect a shift in roles of females and the contemporary perceptions of their bodies. Though they both confine themselves to interior spaces, Jarrett and Winter depict an expanse in mentality in the realms of motherhood and sex, respectively.

Artists Sydne Sherman and collaborators Jodi Lightner and Amber Stene show their relation to exterior spaces. Their portrayal of self in the exterior reflect a sense of a shift in personal growth and development as well as the influence played by outside sources such as mass media.

For this exhibit, I would like the artists to create their own spaces within the gallery that reflect their sense of space within their two dimensional work. For Jarrett and Winter, temporary walls will be placed in order for them to each create their own rooms. They would be encouraged to place objects that reflect their series (possibly domestic items for Jarrett, remnants of artistic process for Winter) and they symbolize what they believe to be their own space. Sherman would be placed in the surrounding areas of the gallery and could use the space as desired (possibly creating platforms and ledges). Lastly, Lightner and Stene would be placed in the outer cases and would also be encouraged to create the space as their own however they see fit.

Inventory

(All from Artists’ Personal Collections

Jamie LaRie Winter

1:30am