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Email PageThrough the Looking Glass - Tattoos and Kimonos
March 6, 2008- April 26, 2008
Reception: March 8, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Janice Urnstein Weissman
Jenkins Johnson Gallery
521 W 26th St Janice Urnstein Weissman Le Noir Kimono (2007) |
Janice Urnstein Weissman’s ascent to the front lines of Photorealism began with a formal education at the Kansas City Art Institute and subsequently at the University of Cincinnati. Her work of late encompasses her ongoing Tattoo Series, in which she “[tries] to capture the vulnerability of the human form as well as emphasize its inherent beauty. The canvas evolves into a mystical journey by portraying the story that the image on the body tells within the context of the overall painting.”
Models are living canvases and their full body tattoos pose Urnstein Weissman the challenge to capture their three dimensional nature on a one dimensional plain, her canvas. Symbolism and juxtaposition reveal the choices of the subjects in regards to their personal histories, beliefs, or preferences, some of which are tangible and others veiled. Contemplation allows one to yield oneself to unraveling these mysteries in order to provide insight to the subjects’ soul. Moreover, Urnstein Weissman highlights color and light with mastery to expose the inner beauty of what might initially strike a viewer as an imperfect physique.
Throughout her Tattoo Series, Urnstein Weissman integrates kimonos into her tattooed figures. Similar to body art, kimonos are woven with intricate detail and symbolism; when analyzed, kimonos can reveal the philosophies or stories of the wearer or creator in the same way that one can gain insights into a person through their tattoos. Kimonos, in this instance, are like tattoos that may be shed or interchanged, and Urnstein Weissman highlights this duality in works like Le Noir Kimono, seen above. “Based on the intricacy of the pattern on their bodies and how those patterns will blend with the philosophical message of the painting,” she essentially creates a painting within a painting for viewers to investigate.
Janice Urnstein Weissman holds a Master’s in Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Kansas City Art Institute. She has mounted solo exhibitions with Estelle Malka, Los Angeles,CA; Galerie Furstenberg, Paris, France; and Riverdale Art Museum, Riverside, CA, among others. Her work is held in the permanent collections of the Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY; Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, CA; Hallmark Crown Center, Kansas City, MO; as well as Habimah Theatre Tel Aviv, Israel. Critical attention to her work has been received by PBS, American Art Collector, ArtNews, Art in America, ArtWeek, and Los Angeles Magazine.
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Jenkins Johnson Gallery was last updated: 2008-10-11
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