“Through the amalgamation and fragmentation of imagery - distorting understood rules of representation – I create complex spaces that shift in and out of abstraction. The result is illogical puzzles composed of banal objects that are drawn from life, yet altered to the point of being imaginary.” —Jessica Curtaz
Upon multiple layers of finely sanded gesso on wood – the result of which creates a near
porcelain-like surface – Jessica Curtaz executes graphite drawings that evoke dreaminess via their subtle distortions. From a distance, the imagery appears to move and swarm, yet up close, the static nature of objects combined becomes clear. In these tight renderings, a mastery of representational line drawing is demonstrated, yet the artist manipulates light and space to induce hypnotic meditations on the still lifes before her.
Jessica Curtaz has an early background in plant biology that has had a profound effect on her ability to observe life. She is a recent MFA graduate from Claremont Graduate University with an emphasis on drawing. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. This is the first exhibition of Curtaz’s work in Portland, Oregon.
Upon multiple layers of finely sanded gesso on wood – the result of which creates a near
porcelain-like surface – Jessica Curtaz executes graphite drawings that evoke dreaminess via their subtle distortions. From a distance, the imagery appears to move and swarm, yet up close, the static nature of objects combined becomes clear. In these tight renderings, a mastery of representational line drawing is demonstrated, yet the artist manipulates light and space to induce hypnotic meditations on the still lifes before her.
Jessica Curtaz has an early background in plant biology that has had a profound effect on her ability to observe life. She is a recent MFA graduate from Claremont Graduate University with an emphasis on drawing. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. This is the first exhibition of Curtaz’s work in Portland, Oregon.