Clothes by Jessie Burton

Clothes 40.5” x 27” 

Jessie Burton

Chalk pastel on paper

$500

Artist Statement: 

Throughout the history of depicting the body, the female figure has been mistrusted by both artists and audiences to hold as much substance, if any, in comparison to the male figure. The use of the female body in art from allegories to archetypes has significantly damaged our perception of her, separating our understanding of the female form from the reality of her humanity. I seek to defy this narrative by depicting the feminine figure in rare states where she has escaped the internalized performance for the patriarchal gaze, instead existing with a defiant agency and autonomy. For me, this occurs when I work in front of my studio mirror, which I capture through self portraiture. The desire to grasp, understand, and abstract anatomy to its utmost nuance guides my line and drive throughout the entire modeling process. I use charcoal and chalk pastel to weave the form of the body in and out of the ground of the paper, creating transient figures with a lightness that matches the speed and impulsive nature of my work process. By simultaneously being the model and the artist, I reflect the obsessive gaze with which I study myself onto the viewer, placing them under my stare, but also in the position of experiencing the intensity and urgency of the modeling relationship from both sides, which has enabled me to learn to pose my body outside the cliches imposed onto the feminine form. Through my work, I admit viewers into my modeling space to remind them of the unique vulnerability and power of attunement to one’s body, and to therefore experience my female figures as present and confrontational rather than existing for display.

• Please allow 14 days to ship.
• Shipping calculated at checkout by weight.

Artwork can be arranged for pick up at Overt Space Gallery + Gift 130 E Main St, Stoughton, WI 53589