art delivery : 03.19.22

There were so many fabulous, multi-disciplinary projects in this artist’s portfolio to choose from (like these photographs, or these murals, or these photographs!) but I just had to shine today’s spotlight on “Slice of Summer”, a 2019 series by San Francisco based artist Jenny M. Phillips:

“Through an exploration of color and simple forms created with acrylic washes, the “Slice of Summer” series evokes the emotional quality of summer’s light, relaxed beauty, hinting at objects such as inner tubes, sails, bathing suits, kites and sun hats.”

Sigh. Yes to all of that. You can follow Jenny on Instagram at @jennymphillips.

Oh boy, it’s happening. This week I started installing my first show in a non-commercial, public gallery (which has been a goal of mine for years). The show officially opens next Saturday, March 26th at The Penticton Gallery, but I’ve been posting a few peeks on Instagram. People have asked about the artist statement, so I thought I’d share it here first. The show is titled “Self-Preservation”, and this is the gist:

“Broken can be beautiful, trash can be treasure, and a bit of cheeky humor can always be found — you just have to keep your eyes open.

In June of 2020, I woke up in the hospital with a ten inch incision across my belly. I’d never felt this empty — both physically and emotionally. Doctors have been removing ugly lumps and growths from my abdomen for years, but this time they took everything. While my uterus was no longer part of me, I was so grateful this malfunctioning organ worked long enough for me to become a mother. That said, I was now overcome with a huge sense of loss. Instead of wallowing in this, I chose to reimagine the bits and pieces of “medical waste” they’d taken from my body as beautiful, feminine objects that I could gather and preserve — as a way to take some power back, and to preserve my state of mind. The result: specimen jars filled with everything from broken jewelry and fake flowers, to shattered ceramics and clay cigarettes. Broken but beautiful, treasures instead of trash.”

Next weekend there will be a new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR… with me as the guest! Yep, New York artist Petah Coyne took over as host, and asked the how, what, and why around this show. (She is truly the best).

Have a wonderful weekend ~ Danielle