Artist Statement

I am clearly clear about being unclear. So, I will try to explain.

I hit about ten years of artistic uncertainty, not a block, but uncertainty. I filled many sketchbooks with collages, non-representational and representational drawings, color palette ideas, and abstract writing. Occasionally, I dove back into large-scale oil painting outside the sketchbooks, but something felt unsaid.

I started introducing symbolism into my oil paintings, including a series of large-scale works where I outlined the United States mainland. Why? Because… 'Merica. This is where my political pieces started to emerge. For those works, nonrepresentation went out the window. Frustration has a way of silencing my words when I'm face-to-face, so I find my voice in my art.

In the Spring of 2024, I stopped treating my mixed-media work like something I could shut inside sketchbooks and forget. Instead, I leaned into collage, moving my ideas onto acrylic paper and exploring them more deeply. Collage combines everything I love: layers, paint, images, words, and color. And masking tape! Why is masking tape so beautiful?

My abstract thoughts have also started showing up in my pieces. I'm not here to explain anything, and I'm not a poet. Words are just another layer. Fragments of thought are embedded in the composition. For years, I posted a Frank Stella quote on my studio wall: "If you want to say something, words will work." As an abstract painter, I agreed with him. Words were unnecessary in my work, even though I admired artists who could pull it off.

With mixed media, I've started resisting the idea that words must explain. In my art, they're more like fragments of abstract thought—puzzle pieces that shape meaning. Sometimes, they even get a laugh. That's been another significant shift: I've stopped treating art like a competitive sport.

Instead, I want to create work that starts a conversation, especially if it begins with a confused laugh! Let us celebrate our awkward confusion! A viewer only needs to understand whether they like it. Tell me you don't like it, tell me why. I always appreciate constructive, thoughtful feedback. The same thing goes for praise. The only thing you need to know about art is your gut reaction!

-Jenn Thompson, 2025