Zane Bennett Contemporary Art Jacklyn St. Aubyn Exhibit

Click on any photo to the left to see a larger image of her work

JACKLYN ST. AUBYN
Artist Statement

I am fascinated by the power of objects and images to bring back memories, to excite the senses, and to serve as metaphors. As a painter I use objects as a writer uses words. The objects are my building blocks for expression. These elements are containers for memories and associations and serve as a collection of resources to be used in my paintings. Most of my sources are taken from nature because of the strong affinity I have with the natural world and the richness of association I find there.

Even though I paint from observation, I am not seeking realism, per se. I am hoping that, in the process of painting, a transformation will take place. The subject matter will then serve as a catalyst for the expression of a symbolic narrative in which the elements of color, shape, structure, line and surface form a language that translates the feeling I have about the objects.

Sometimes the frame of a piece is incorporated into the painting and becomes part of the content. When this occurs the painting has an exterior and interior space that each represent a different aspect of the emotional or psychological content of the piece. Using the frame in this way adds another level to the content and also transforms the paintings into objects, with a three-dimensional form. This added dimension extends space through the contrast between two dimensional and three-dimensional relationships. It also brings the viewer closer to the work by suggesting that the painting is an object and can be held for intimate observation.

The depiction of spatial depth in my work is ambiguous. Some elements are rendered to have a volumetric quality and appear to exist in three-dimensional space, while others appear to be flat and exist on the surface of the picture plane. The shift in focus from the illusion of spatial depth to the flatness of the picture plane creates tension and contrast within the image and in doing so reinforces the symbolic content of the work. The juxtaposition of disparate elements that have both two and three-dimensional form within the same visual context encourages the viewer to approach the work from a fresh point of view and apply their own interpretation of meaning.

Click to change background