Jenna North Artist Statement

"Axis of Beauty"

Symmetry and hierarchy of form are the fundamental structures in my art. Through symmetry I re-establish balance, embracing ornamentation, beauty, and the mechanical. During the process of creating my pieces I am psychically enthralled into a visual mystique.  The paintings conjure up latent forces, and release their spells over me, directing embellishment with crowns of jewels.  My influences source the spirit of Egyptian, Islamic, Gothic, Victorian to the arabesque lineage of Art Nouveau. The exploration of my work delves into the nature of my feminine powers as the conjurer of beauty, and provider of balance within the context of the existing world.

Since graduating from K.C.A.I. my art has evolved in two significant ways:  first, I embraced a symmetrical field; second, my paintings transformed themselves into three- dimensional volumes.  Working independently in northern California I acted on a natural urge to experience symmetry in my paintings. I began designing my own French curves and incorporating reflective mediums, such as highway glass beads, acrylic craft jewels, iridescent and graphite powders, allowing the subject of my work to embrace the beauty of ornamentation.  During that year and a half this body of work established important grounds to fuel my future struggles as an artist.  After moving to Portland, OR my painting scaled down in dimension and also in production. I began honing in on central rudimental forms inherent within the picture. It became necessary to see them in actual three-dimensional space, for I was more interested in the object itself.  My interest in the history of ornamentation heightened, my library expanded, and I plunged into the decorative, both tasteful and kitsch. It occurred to me that I could make use of my recent thrift shop finds by making latex molds of Syraco plastic sconces and other little objects with interesting designs.  I assembled on cast objects from molds acquired from plastic bakery containers found in grocery stores. I bought a lot of cookies and muffins. After experimenting with several casting materials I found Portland Hydrastone cement met my needs. I went into production, spending day after day creating and casting ornamentals. During this time I made some small paintings that did not offer the opulence of my vision, I failed at connecting the two.

In August of 2002 I moved from the West Coast with my artist partner to his family farm in the middle of rural Kansas.  Here, we converted a dilapidated machine shed into an art studio, which reconnected me with the use of power tools, and industrial construction.  I used this opportunity to push the cast objects I call “Dazzlers” into still a further expression of ornamentation.  I began routing M.D.F. board and hardwood plywood to create contoured forms for mounting the Dazzlers. These forms housed and added depth and complexity to my medallions. The finished pieces have a polished and almost factory produced look about them through the use of high gloss enamels  and flawlessly smooth formed edges.

The vast space of the Kansas prairie and building space for art making has materialized the focus of my vision.