Jessie Bigelow
Artist Statement
The work is an investigation in improvisational drawing. The drawings begin rooted in a real space (a view of rooftops from my window, or a rumpled sheet from my bed), but then depart into a new system which has its own internal logic. This results in drawings which inhabit a conceptual place between the creation of fictional space and concerns with pure form and color.
I use ink, watercolor, crayon, chalk pastel, gouache, and graphite, varying my materials in an attempt to add textural and conceptual tension to the drawings. This interplay of materials further emphasizes their physicality and presence, which adds a subtle sculptural quality to the drawings. Additionally, the mixing of materials contributes to the oddness of the drawings, which is important because it helps to place them in an area of ambiguity.
My interest in these drawings ultimately lies in the process of making them. Each drawing represents an intense engagement with my materials, my surroundings, and the composition as a continuously changing body. This process is valuable to me because it’s very active while at the same time withholding any sense of ultimate control. I hope for the viewer to enjoy and respond to this engagement in the work.
