These small, acrylic paintings ultimately connect to the public through what I see as one of many universal cultural connections, the pull of place that operates on all of us. This work is an ongoing examination of how art making can serve as a mode of place making. Through painting I am able to create environments that engage in a manner that is suggestive but not specific—these works are meditations on the infinite power of physical and psychological space.
Abstraction is the framework in which I investigate ideas of place dependence and the psychological need to belong somewhere; approaching abstraction as an allegorical language is ideal for connecting the nonconcrete value of belonging within space. I intend for the work to have a transparency regarding its prioritization of formal investigation and process, and strive for the outcome to be indicative of an environment that is intangible and peculiar. The works maintain a belief in abstraction’s ability to function both on a self-referential level and exist as cultural objects that are discursively relevant, socially engaged, and mindful of a viewer’s emotional and intellectual experiences.
Making work with a strong sense of urgency and intuition allows for a sort of call-and-response for unexpected outcomes, resulting in paintings and drawings that feel both highly considered, and largely instinctual. I have adopted a sincere approach to contemporary painting, these works are produced with an introverted inclination and modest scale. By looking at interiors through the filter of materials and physicality, the work ultimately focuses on drawing and painting as a means of navigating physical and intangible places.
Jessica Simorte completed her MFA with an emphasis in painting at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning in 2014. She is currently living in Texas where teaches at Sam Houston State University. She has shown regionally, nationally and internationally and has been included in numerous publications including multiple issues of New American Paintings, Art Maze Mag, and Maake Magazine. Most recently, she held a solo exhibition in Kansas, was included in many national exhibitions, and had works purchased for an international public collection. When she is not teaching, parenting or painting, she’s probably dreaming of adopting another dog.
Find Jessica Simorte’s work at jessicasimorte.com and on Instagram at @JessSimorte.
