This is the next step on Jacs artistic journey, this leg of the trip started two years ago but of course like all artistic endeavours it all originated much earlier than that.
These images all involve an element of collage and the application of paint, some are plain and simple, others are enclosed in a paint applied grid that have been equated to a giraffe hide pattern. Some of these pieces appear to swirl and others are almost wallpaper like in their design. In the round pieces the image appears at times to be concave or convex, sometimes almost spherical. The work is dimensional, it is almost sculptural.
The flowers used have been borrowed, picked, plucked and experimented on over the last twenty-four months and appear in these works in various states of decay. From fully vibrant beauty to semi-decayed but still beautiful, the veins and tendrils still apparent despite the ageing and the application of paint. Learning what happens when each flower is dried and pressed was part of the journey.
Some of these flowers are native, some are imports, one mans weed is another mans bouquet. They can be wanted, unwanted, poisonous, hallucinogenic, cultivated or self seeded, but they all have beauty. There are of course contemporary political parallels to be drawn.
The earlier pieces in this series included more conventional paper collage. Either cut or ripped from watercolour paintings or some just images from magazines. Some incorporated poems. Most of the works that made the culling process for the exhibition have been produced on board, a few on canvas. Golden Acrylics are Jacs paints and material of choice, mainly for its quality and the intensity of pigment which gives the vibrancy of colour. In some resin has been used to capture a dimension in the process of decay.
Jacs has always loved flowers and has drawn and painted them as long as she can remember. Whilst living in London she attended botanical art courses at Kew Gardens and at the V&A. For a while she made a name for herself painting large watercolours of bouquets, these went all over the world. Collage too has played a part, in the 90’s she was commissioned to complete a sculptural installation that was toured around six cities in Germany. This was essentially a collage piece, incorporating paua and egg shells and a large collaged draped painted canvas.
She’s always loved gardens, her aunt was a noted gardener in Timaru and her father-in-law in the UK was another. She loves Sissinghurst, Kew Gardens and Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, the latter for its more chaotic approach actually moved her to tears. Her own garden tends towards the chaotic, without the tears.
She has always studied and in the last few years has attended courses conducted by Wayne Youle, Sheyne Tuffery and Rod Mcleod. She feels that these courses are essential for further development and also a way of lifting her away, even if only momentarily, from her own work. It can be lonely in the studio, plugging away on a daily basis with National Radio on full bore. Her commitment though is undeniable, her husband Pete Carter will often find her working away in her dressing gown mid-morning, having got carried away at her work after a quick breakfast but before getting dressed.
The influences on these works are harder to place. Her godmother Judy McIntosh Wilson has been there for the long term, especially her tenacity with collecting found objects and then their presentation. Elizabeth Thompson, Karl Maughan and Sara Hughes would be three New Zealanders who have inspired her. Internationally Gerhard Richter gets a mention for his application of paint, Grayson Perry for his commitment not just for ceramics, but to collage, drawing and the belief in himself and his work. Throughout her career Jacs has enjoyed life drawing, and constantly returns to it for the discipline it provides.
Her last solo exhibition was in 1999 so she can hardly be accused of over exposure. Between then and now there have been shared shows in New Zealand and overseas. Commissions have been completed too for buyers in the UK, Luxembourg and Sweden.
Looking forward Jacs wants to take the current theme further. Worldwide there are no shortage of subjects. There are flowers around the world just waiting to be stolen.