STATEMENT

Jenifer Kent | Statement

In thinking of the processes of time and nature, I am drawn to organic forms and phenomenon – from a tumbleweed to a constellation, and in particular the symmetry of the forms we often encounter in the natural world. Within the bounds of abstraction, I draw the shapes of flowers, seeds, and stars with lines and patterns attempting to draw the viewer closer.

Through hand drawn lines, I mark a moment in time physically through a gesture. Lines, dots, and ovals represent hours of labor, repetition and meditation. Without rulers, the wobbles and shakes that my lines express find each piece hovering between precision and imperfection. Time exists as both a mark on the page and a vast unknowable experience. I’m curious how those two things can coexist, the vast and the minute, as I attempt to strike a balance between control and chaos.

I am inspired by the textures and palettes of the seasons, the late winter greys, blues, and browns that I see in the native bunchgrass, coyote and kestrel of the Shasta Valley of California, where I live. And through spring and summer, the golden colors of Chamisa, and the bright hollyhocks in my garden offer more robust colors for my work. In addition to my deep connection to the land, I am engaged with a legacy of making, farming, and machining, and these human histories inform my work and process as much as the trees and seasons and plants. I hope to inspire a similar connection to and reverence for place for my viewer through a meditative and immersive imagery.