Jennae Pero

We live in a logically masked organic world. Upon our bodies are clothes. Around us are walls, cement and glass. Between us and another human is a virtual connection. Inside of us is logical reasoning. All of which are at direct odds with our biotic selves. My work exists in this intermediate space, seeking to unbiasedly explore the divide between logical, protective societal self to our instinctive, spiritual, biotic selves. The stoic but emotionally brimming body parts are presented in, on or around organic material often times space itself. Their bisect from the rest of their body is mirrored in our divide between natures’ spiritual practice of life, death and survival and our desire to rationally autonomize ourselves from what is the meaning of being human, even from one another.

My work involves a heavy studio practice of oil figurative work in the style of Écorché in oil alongside explorative plein air painting and sculpture. The two exercises inform each other in my search between the logical and natural components. When painting from a figure, it is important that I communicate with the model about their experiences and how they experience divides in their own life. While painting and sculpting plein air, I focus on traditional methods of respecting and using nature like making sustainable paints and dyes from roots, weaving with pine needles and painting often overlooked beauties of the natural world in watercolor and oil. The interest and tension of the work is ... view more »