Artist Bio:
Jessie Kirker is a senior at Union College from Latham, NY, majoring in Studio Fine Arts. She works primarily in oil paint on large-scale canvases. Other than oil paint Jessie also works photographically and utilizes her photographs as source material for her paintings. Upon graduation, Jessie will continue to create artwork and has aspirations of eventually receiving a master's in fine arts.
Artist Statement:
My oil paintings explore the mingling of interior and exterior space. Each work in this group focuses upon nocturne scenes with the inclusion of reflections. Inspiration for my work comes from photographs I have taken while walking around at night or from the windows of the space I am in. I have also layered images to develop my own created spaces. Surrealism has played a large role in the development of these artworks. The elongated canvases are a reference to the human form and the presence of the viewer in front of the work. With the size of the canvas in mind, I included the human figure in several of these works. The idea and feeling of isolation are present throughout each of my artworks. My hope is that the color palette, the inclusion of the figure, and the size of the canvas will evoke an emotional or visceral reaction from the viewer.