Eskenazi School
of Art, Architecture + Design

Just a Moment Please

Jenny Reed

Degree: MFA

Area: Ceramics

Thesis Statement

My work memorializes seemingly insignificant moments through whimsical representations of the domestic space. I am interested in bringing domestic scenes and objects out of the domestic habitat in order to make the ordinary spectacular. Through this process, I am able to reflect on my understanding of myself and my surroundings, what provides comfort and joy, and what makes me feel unimpressive or lowly. My process begins with journal entries and direct observation. I then create specific compositions intuitively. This intuitive way of working brings integrity to the work. My use of craft-based processes allow for conceptual connotations that relate to time, record, manual labor, low brow, and the domestic. I incorporate absurd humor and rely on abstraction to depict a playful mood that can entice viewers. It is important that the work retains a compositional rhythm through color, form, and embellishment for the distorted and sometimes illegible objects and spaces. The artist Anne Truitt stated, “the meaning of our experience is held in the infinitely short intervals between our sensory perceptions”. This idea inspires much of my work. The mundane can exemplify the dullness in routine, yet it can also provide an opportunity to become conscious of one’s own autonomy in a specific time and space. The domestic scenes I create are based off my own living space, which is stagnant in a sense but my perception of it changes based on influences in and outside the home. It can feel mundane or boring or pointless, yet I am inclined to strive for admiration and to discover joy in my retreat.