Cut. 2016. Acrylic, charcoal, graphite, and watercolor on panel. 48 x 24 inches.
This piece seeks to picture a body as made of charcoal and panel rather than flesh and blood. The image pictures a woman’s body with a (very faint) series of straight dotted lines superimposed over her form, which calls to mind thoughts of self harm, and yet was created to serve as a guard or totem against them. A panel of wood that shatters has no sentience.
Torn. 2016. Fabric on panel. 48 x 24 inches.
Much like the previous piece, this three dimensional image pictures a figure as fabric, impervious to emotional or physical harm.
Crucifix with Oriental Tapestry. 2016. Acrylic and watercolor on panel. 30 x 40 inches.
This piece inserts the artist and/or viewer into a more well-known symbol of suffering. Without necessarily requiring a spiritual interpretation, the scene is meant to use the emblem of a crucifix as a representation of tribulation, much as the fictional namesake artist employs it in a painting in Chaim Potok’s novel, My Name is Asher Lev.
Jessica Shirley Artwork 