JESSICA LARSEN - MARCH 2022
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am an interdisciplinary artist, a woodworker, a mother, I have two dogs and a very supportive husband. I started my undergrad education as a painter and dabbled in mixed media. I did not take a direct route through my education, I deviated at times to navigate the fates of life. One of these deviations led me to invest in several years of training to become a traditional woodworker. My current work reflects my fine art and craft background, and I am interested in the tensions that exist between them. I am also a bit of a romantic and my approach to art making is intuitive. I am a material focused artist, so I usually start a piece by letting a selected material influence my formal and compositional decisions. I try to allow space for a fluid dialog between myself and the material.
I am an interdisciplinary artist, a woodworker, a mother, I have two dogs and a very supportive husband. I started my undergrad education as a painter and dabbled in mixed media. I did not take a direct route through my education, I deviated at times to navigate the fates of life. One of these deviations led me to invest in several years of training to become a traditional woodworker. My current work reflects my fine art and craft background, and I am interested in the tensions that exist between them. I am also a bit of a romantic and my approach to art making is intuitive. I am a material focused artist, so I usually start a piece by letting a selected material influence my formal and compositional decisions. I try to allow space for a fluid dialog between myself and the material.
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Where are you and what are you currently working on?
I live in an old cabin on a small piece of land outside of Twin Falls, Idaho. I am currently making work for a couple of exhibitions I have planned this spring and summer. While working on finishing some pieces I am still trying to keep the spirit of experimentation alive in my studio by working with materials that I am not familiar with. Right now, I am trying out a 2-part expandable foam which I have had some mixed results.
I live in an old cabin on a small piece of land outside of Twin Falls, Idaho. I am currently making work for a couple of exhibitions I have planned this spring and summer. While working on finishing some pieces I am still trying to keep the spirit of experimentation alive in my studio by working with materials that I am not familiar with. Right now, I am trying out a 2-part expandable foam which I have had some mixed results.
What’s your studio routine like? Any zany habits?
My studio is a renovated 1970’s pole barn that resides on our property. We just finished the remodel in the fall of 2021, so my studio is still relatively new. I am still adding equipment to the space and finding a good workflow. I try to get in the studio every day for a couple hours every day- even if it is just to organize, perform maintenance on a machine or sit in front of the stove and read.
My studio is a renovated 1970’s pole barn that resides on our property. We just finished the remodel in the fall of 2021, so my studio is still relatively new. I am still adding equipment to the space and finding a good workflow. I try to get in the studio every day for a couple hours every day- even if it is just to organize, perform maintenance on a machine or sit in front of the stove and read.
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What are your favorite materials to work with?
I include some type of wood or building materials in all my work but right now I think my favorite material is plaster or hydrostone. I get so much joy from removing the casted objects from their molds and discovering the sweet little nuances that made their way into the piece.
I include some type of wood or building materials in all my work but right now I think my favorite material is plaster or hydrostone. I get so much joy from removing the casted objects from their molds and discovering the sweet little nuances that made their way into the piece.
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How has your work changed over the years?
As I mentioned before, previously I was a painter. I worked primarily with oils and was a figure painter. I meandered my way from figure painting to abstraction then on to mixed media. I love craft and enjoy learning new techniques, so I have dabbled in various mediums which have all informed my work.
As I mentioned before, previously I was a painter. I worked primarily with oils and was a figure painter. I meandered my way from figure painting to abstraction then on to mixed media. I love craft and enjoy learning new techniques, so I have dabbled in various mediums which have all informed my work.
Who else do you recommend we look at / read / listen to / cook with?
I highly recommend anything by the author Adrienne Maree Brown, but her book Emergent Strategies is top notch. The poetry of Nayyirah Waheed. I have been revisiting the work of Robert Ryman, Agnes Martin and Rachel Whiteread.
I highly recommend anything by the author Adrienne Maree Brown, but her book Emergent Strategies is top notch. The poetry of Nayyirah Waheed. I have been revisiting the work of Robert Ryman, Agnes Martin and Rachel Whiteread.
Any exciting projects on the horizon?
I am entering my last semester of MFA and am working on my thesis proposal as well as making work for the show. Fingers crossed!
I am entering my last semester of MFA and am working on my thesis proposal as well as making work for the show. Fingers crossed!
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