StatementImmersed in abstraction, this new body of work marks a departure from my usual painting practice into a new beginning inspired by historical Italian Frescoes. Every aspect of this exhibition speaks to capturing the joy within exploring an uncharted process that's speaks to transformation, identity, authenticity, and resilience while finding new footing and foundation in my life and art practice through my heritage and culture.
These frescoes were created using Italian slaked lime, marble plaster, and earth pigments, which parallel the traditional Italian fresco painting process. In creating these unique contemporary abstract frescoes, I hope to raise awareness of thousands of years-old ancient processes through a contemporary lens of abstraction. This new direction and body of work is deeply inspired by two trips to Italy in 2013 and 2019. During the latter, I was left with a lasting memory of the fantastic colors, textures, and rich scent of history within the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua. This chapel is covered from wall to ceiling with exquisitely painted frescoes created by the Italian Master Fresco artist Giotto in 1305. . Mine is an art practice of seeking within an experimental body of work immersed in abstraction, a visual artist whose practice explores and pushes the boundaries of colour, line and form in two and three dimensions. Drawing is the thread that binds and grounds my art practice, as I tend to cross-pollinate disciplines. My practice is a journey of self-discovery rooted in the art materials that I use and emotions. It is informed by process, driven by questions of identity, and my interest in the deception of perception: the contrast between what is seen/known, and what is understood. Absorbed by experimentation, I create within a simple, spontaneous process. The process gambles on each mark within meandering gestures, triggering pattern-seeking and meaning within the randomness. These marks and gestures reveal inner landscapes affected by outward happenings resonating beyond itself, transforming the unknown visible. Each piece comes in and out of focus in a balancing act that blurs and questions, as I capture beyond the limited forward view from the peripheral far frayed edge where the magic happens. Lifting the veil uncovers the layers that connect us with a broader brush within the vibrational energy that governs this great entanglement. |
Bio |
Jeanette Luchese is a First Generation Italian Canadian settler, visual artist, educator, director and curator rooted in design arts, creating in the disciplines of drawing, painting, printmaking, painting, sculpture and sound. She is an honour graduate of the School of Design and Visual Art at Georgian College in Barrie and the Sheridan College School of Design in Oakville. She has exhibited Internationally at the Palazzo dell’Annunziata, Matera Italy: Fondacione Opera Campana-Dei-Caduti, Rovereto, Italy and regionally at the MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, ON; Quest Art School + Gallery, Midland, ON; Orillia Museum of Art & History, Orillia, ON; and Campus Gallery, Georgian College, Barrie, ON to name a few. Jeanette resides in Innisfil, ON.
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Previous Artist statement
A visual artist whose practice explores and pushes the boundaries of colour, line and form in two and three dimensions. An art practice influenced by the darkness of perception seeks joy in the light within a body of work that stands on the border of abstraction, coming in and out of focus in a balancing act that blurs and questions as she captures from the peripheral far frayed edge where the magic happens.
A practice rooted in materiality and emotions driven by an interest in the deception in perception: the contrast between what 'is seen' and what is understood. Drawing is the thread that binds my practice with a tendency to cross-pollinate Absorbed by experimentation and prone to abstraction yields surreal expressions within a simple, spontaneous process that gambles on each mark within meandering gestures, triggering pattern seeking and meaning within randomness instigating an authenticity drawing out a coded language from inner landscapes affected by outward happenings allowing the work to combine and resonate beyond itself transmuting the unknown, visible.
Odd childhood happenings awakened a curiosity questioning my understanding of the norm? Played in my Grandparent's orchard, under a canopy of fruit trees bearing two to three different fruits in each tree, climbing to pick pears and finding plums with a branch of apples nearby; it is not surprising I have an interest in cross-pollinating disciplines. Although realizing I was not in Italy when I first attended school was a surprise that took years to sort out and laid the foundation of distrust introducing the reality of illusion, visual deception in perception, alternate possibilities that exist beyond our limited view lifting the veil uncovers the layers that connect us with a broader scope within the vibrational energy that governs this great entanglement. Life is a beautiful ride.
A practice rooted in materiality and emotions driven by an interest in the deception in perception: the contrast between what 'is seen' and what is understood. Drawing is the thread that binds my practice with a tendency to cross-pollinate Absorbed by experimentation and prone to abstraction yields surreal expressions within a simple, spontaneous process that gambles on each mark within meandering gestures, triggering pattern seeking and meaning within randomness instigating an authenticity drawing out a coded language from inner landscapes affected by outward happenings allowing the work to combine and resonate beyond itself transmuting the unknown, visible.
Odd childhood happenings awakened a curiosity questioning my understanding of the norm? Played in my Grandparent's orchard, under a canopy of fruit trees bearing two to three different fruits in each tree, climbing to pick pears and finding plums with a branch of apples nearby; it is not surprising I have an interest in cross-pollinating disciplines. Although realizing I was not in Italy when I first attended school was a surprise that took years to sort out and laid the foundation of distrust introducing the reality of illusion, visual deception in perception, alternate possibilities that exist beyond our limited view lifting the veil uncovers the layers that connect us with a broader scope within the vibrational energy that governs this great entanglement. Life is a beautiful ride.
previous bio
Jeanette Luchese is an Italian - Canadian settler, visual artist, designer, educator, director, curator, rooted in abstraction creates within drawing, painting, printmaking, painting, sculptures and sound. Graduate of School of Design and Visual Art, Georgian College (Barrie) and Sheridan College School of Design (Oakville) , furthering studies to include: 2019 Florence, Italy, OCADU's Summer Studio Master Class [June] with Nicole Collins and Anda Kubis. Resides in Innisfil, Ontario Canada. Exhibiting Internationally and regionally at numerous public galleries including the macLaren Art Centre (Barrie), Quest Art Gallery (Midland), Orillia Museum of Arts & History (Orillia) and Campus Gallery, (Barrie). A grant recipient of the Ontario Art Council and the City of Barrie Culture Department, with numerous awards. Recipient of the 2014 "Great Visual Arts Golden Eagle Trophy - Award of Honour, Salerno, Italy and 2015 the Kandinsky Award of Creativity, Salerno, Italy. Published in Abstract | Ext, A first approximation to abstract literature¹ by David Quiles Guilló: 'Gone Once,' page 76 (April 2015 45 authors. Printed in Spain). Short Listed for the 2015 Gwendolyn MacEwen Exile Poetry Competition 'From there to here,' published in ELQ Exile: The Literary Quarterly July Edition 2016. Ending 2018 with The Focus and the Fray, a regional public gallery solo exhibition held at Campus Gallery, curators Sarah Elizebeth Leonard and Cory Van der Vliet - The Helen and Arch Brown Centre, Georgian College Barrie, Canada and honoured to of created the 2018 Barrie Art Awards Sculptures (statuettes) Public Art: 2019 Participating in #ISDAY International Sculpture Day, Innisfil Sculpture Group partnering with Innisfil IdeaLAB, 'Sculptures in Uncommon Places" . "What day is it? resides in Port Huron, Michigan USA: The Gathering #8. The Verandahs Bed & Breakfast by the Lake in Oro, Ontario and "Easy Rider" in Barrie, Ontario, Canada — , ending the year with a solo exhibtion of experimental printmaking "Surviving Death : Ressurecting Memories at the PRNT Collective Barrie, ON.
2020 ... then there was a pandemic. Finding solace in the words of Alan Watts "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” which we all did, now on the other side.
Upcoming:
2024 Women's Art Show ... OMAH, April 27 to July 2, 2024. Opening April 27, 1 pm.
2024 Solo Exhibition: July 27 to October 12, 2024 Orillia Museum of Art & History, Orillia, ON, — Curated by Tanya Cunnington, honoured for the guided insights of Mentor, Ted Fullerton.
2020 ... then there was a pandemic. Finding solace in the words of Alan Watts "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” which we all did, now on the other side.
Upcoming:
2024 Women's Art Show ... OMAH, April 27 to July 2, 2024. Opening April 27, 1 pm.
2024 Solo Exhibition: July 27 to October 12, 2024 Orillia Museum of Art & History, Orillia, ON, — Curated by Tanya Cunnington, honoured for the guided insights of Mentor, Ted Fullerton.