why does jen do what she does?

My practice has always revolved around subtleties of environments and behavior as well as attempting to undo the constructs expected to be necessary to take part in an artwork. I like looking at the details. I like the idea that there is always something more complex, if we just take the time and attention to notice it. The process of awareness and investigation steers us away from the allure of a spectacle to discover something possibly more intimate and vulnerable. In a public setting where we’re drawn to be distracted, I create stumbled-on moments of focus with ephemeral materials or performance. In a gallery setting that already encourages hyper-awareness, I create an up-closeness or near invisibility so the work can be ignored or experienced intimately. I want to show that there is always more to the dazzling surface and that the “more” part is what makes us interesting, inquisitive creatures.

Decisions and Awareness

I work outside structures in public in order to make a person consider an action or object without being immediately aware that they are encountering an artwork. By having an awareness of myself in the public space and all the other parts of life that fall into place around me, I alter my approach to the space in such a way that might jar the standard expectation of how a person is supposed to experience a space.

The End Result and Process

The entire artwork may have an end result of a drawing or an object, but I see the piece in its entirety. It is the decision to act, the action in space. It is also the writing and talking about the action, any research, posts, comments, blogs, and images related to the piece. Finally, it is whatever final image or object that takes form.