The Feminine Narratives of Jessica Damen
Navigating the Labyrinth of Feminity
Reclaiming the Narrative
Embodying Autonomy and the Wild Essence of Womanhood
INTRO
Resilience and Reimagining: The Feminine Narratives of Jessica Damen is an exploration of the strength and resilience inherent in femininity. Damen’s focus on female figures in Greek mythology creates a compelling narrative that resonates with contemporary audiences. As viewers engage with her paintings, they are confronted with the urgent need to reassess our collective understanding of gender, power, and agency.
CURATORIAL STATEMENT
As viewers engage with her paintings, they are confronted with the urgent need to reassess our collective understanding of gender, power, and agency. Through her skillful brushwork and evocative colors, Damen urges us to question our society's foundation and imagine a future where women are not defined by the traumas of the past and are not required to pay a price for freedom like Artemis, provoking us to imagine new narratives that transcend the confines of victimhood and forced stoicism to forge a new path toward equality and empowerment.
At the heart of Damen's collection, the themes of Artemis, Leda, and Ariadne emerge as powerful symbols of feminine strength and reclamation. Artemis, the untamed goddess of the hunt, takes on new life in Damen's brushwork, embodying autonomy and the wild essence of womanhood. Leda, historically relegated to a victim's role, emerges as a figure of agency and resistance in Damen's reinterpretation. The swan's shadow is replaced by Leda's unwavering gaze, embodying empowerment amid adversity. Ariadne, known for her labyrinthine journey, is recast as a metaphor for the labyrinthine complexity of women's experiences, their paths filled with both struggles and triumphs.
Damen's textural paint and vivid palette bring to life the mythic spaces of these figures, offering a fresh perspective on their narratives. In a society that often silences women's voices, Damen amplifies their stories, inviting viewers to witness their transformation from passive subjects to empowered agents. Through her intimate portrayal of their experiences, Damen challenges the traditional narrative structures that have confined these women to mere plot devices. In her hands, the victims become champions, exuding strength, resilience, and a resolute spirit.
With an steadfast commitment to feminism, Damen provides space for viewers to confront the darker aspects of our collective history. By excavating the layers of Greek mythology, she reveals the persistent echoes of gender-based traumas that persist in our present society. Through her works, Damen asks us to question the status quo and challenge the acceptance of these narratives of victimhood. She calls for a reexamination of how women are depicted, discussed, and treated, both in the past and the present.
Resilience and Reimagining: The Feminine Narratives of Jessica Damen brings viewers into a world of expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colors, where the ancient tales of Greek mythology intertwine with contemporary feminist perspectives. Through her captivating paintings, Damen delves into the depths of Greek myths, particularly focusing on stories centered around female goddesses and the victims of patriarchal power. With a nod to magic realism and inspiration drawn from Asian scrolls, Damen's artworks offer a profound exploration of gender, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling. Join us on this transformative journey as we celebrate the power of artistic storytelling and the infinite possibilities that arise when women's voices are given the space they deserve.
- Curator Liz Faust
The
JESSICA DAMEN
Feminine Narratives of
ABOUT JESSICA DAMEN
Beginning with my desire to delve into psychological understandings for my imagery, I found that ancient myths are an excellent prism through which I can reveal forbidden or repressed wishes and desires. While in art school I began painting stories about children, not as an adult’s idealized projection, but more honest narratives that reveal sometimes frightening and as well as whimsical worlds.
In 2004 Grace Hartigan (1922-2008), internationally renowned artist and then director of the Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) gave me the moniker the “Lewis Carroll of Baltimore.” I believe this a fitting description of my perspective because “…terrible things happened to Alice (of “Alice in Wonderland”) – falls, chases, beheadings…. Jessica is talking about things that happen to children who are both menacing and being menaced.” (Baltimore Sun, Glenn McNatt 2004). I believe Grace’s insight about my perspective is true, even after all these years. I am not afraid to confront menacing presences, whether internal or external while also, I am comfortable exploiting an aesthetic of beauty.
My life has woven through divergent trajectories - from a brief yet impactful career as a Pediatric nurse and college instructor to a research assistant with an environmental education group and activism with Women Strike for Peace. Amid these ventures, I have been an unwavering wife and mother to three remarkable children, together with my husband of forty-five years. These life-interwoven threads eventually led me to Baltimore in 1996, where I embarked on a Post-Baccalaureate program at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). A fervent aspiration materialized as I sought the mentorship of the illustrious Grace Hartigan.
Upon graduating in 2001 with an MFA from MICA, I received a resident fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) in Provincetown, MA where I met Ohio’s resident poet fellow, Maj Ragain. Ragain first told me about the myth of Leda and the Swan and I became fascinated with how that myth lives on today. It is revealed in its contemporary disguise as debates regarding “legitimate vs. illegitimate” rape, and the increasing diminishment of women’s bodily autonomy and agency.
Maj and I continued to converse, share and encourage our respective arts. He was emotionally taken with my painting Leda and the Angry Swan and responsively penned, Leda’s Voice, Under Sky, Over Water in 2003. Thirteen years later I painted, What’s This-Prequel in response to his opening lines, “I lie in the wreckage of my longing which called him down to me…” In 2004 we had a collaborative show at Verde Gallery in Champaign IL and our nearly two-decade collaboration culminated in 2018 with "Home To Sargasso Sea - A long journey of loving collaboration: Paintings by Jessica Damen and Poems by Maj Ragain” at the Kent State University Downtown Gallery and the Wick Poetry Center.
Since 2001 I have exhibited regularly in commercial and academic galleries for solo, invitational and nationally juried shows. Most recently in December, 2019 my solo exhibition, Visions Verses Voices at The Delaplaine Art Center, Frederick MD, created an immersive environment of paintings, and recorded readings of relevant poems and soundscapes.
My artworks can be found in noteworthy private in public collections:
Kearney Co., Alexandria, VA
George Floyd Social Conscience Art Movement Collection, JW Jones, Charlotte, NC
Ginsberg, Feldman & Bress, Attorneys, Washington, DC
GRE Insurance, Inc., New York, NY
IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL and Fairfax, VA
Wick Library Corner, University of Ohio at Kent State, OH
The Polinger Company, Chevy Chase, MD
Rust Insurance Company, Washington, DC
Peter J. Sharp Foundation, New York, NY
Pat and Jeanne Turner, Baltimore, MD
United States Department of State, Art in Embassies Program, 1990-1994
Sidwell Friends School, Washington DC
Sunwest Communications Inc., Dallas, Texas
Zuckerman, Spaeder, Goldstein, Taylor & Kolker, Vienna, VA
ABOUT LIZ FAUST
Liz Faust is a Curator and Professor focusing on contemporary art that acts as a catalyst for broadening viewers’ perspective and way of thinking. Her interests in radical contemporary art led to her former curatorial position at Catalyst Contemporary Gallery and Full Circle Photography Gallery in Baltimore where she welcomed both local and national artists whose work focuses on storytelling and emotive connections. Faust teaches at both the Maryland Institute College of Art and the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a focus on archive exploration, the recontextualizing of narratives, and ADA exhibition design. Faust was also the open call winner of NYC's apexart exhibition proposal with her Elongated Shadows exhibition which was featured in Hyperallergic, e-flux, Esse Arts. Faust was a postgraduate recipient of a masters in curatorial practice studying under George Ciscle at MICA.
THE EXHIBITION
M - F: 9 am - 7 pm
Waddell Art Gallery, 21200 Campus Drive, Sterling, VA
11.14.23 4 - 7 pm
11.13.23 - 12.12.23
Gallery Hours:
Location:
Opening Reception:
Exhibition Dates:
Navigating the Labyrinth of Feminity
Reclaiming the Narrative
Embodying Autonomy and the Wild Essence of Womanhood
The Feminine Narratives of Jessica Damen
CURATORIAL STATEMENT
As viewers engage with her paintings, they are confronted with the urgent need to reassess our collective understanding of gender, power, and agency. Through her skillful brushwork and evocative colors, Damen urges us to question our society's foundation and imagine a future where women are not defined by the traumas of the past and are not required to pay a price for freedom like Artemis, provoking us to imagine new narratives that transcend the confines of victimhood and forced stoicism to forge a new path toward equality and empowerment.
At the heart of Damen's collection, the themes of Artemis, Leda, and Ariadne emerge as powerful symbols of feminine strength and reclamation. Artemis, the untamed goddess of the hunt, takes on new life in Damen's brushwork, embodying autonomy and the wild essence of womanhood. Leda, historically relegated to a victim's role, emerges as a figure of agency and resistance in Damen's reinterpretation. The swan's shadow is replaced by Leda's unwavering gaze, embodying empowerment amid adversity. Ariadne, known for her labyrinthine journey, is recast as a metaphor for the labyrinthine complexity of women's experiences, their paths filled with both struggles and triumphs.
Damen's textural paint and vivid palette bring to life the mythic spaces of these figures, offering a fresh perspective on their narratives. In a society that often silences women's voices, Damen amplifies their stories, inviting viewers to witness their transformation from passive subjects to empowered agents. Through her intimate portrayal of their experiences, Damen challenges the traditional narrative structures that have confined these women to mere plot devices. In her hands, the victims become champions, exuding strength, resilience, and a resolute spirit.
With an steadfast commitment to feminism, Damen provides space for viewers to confront the darker aspects of our collective history. By excavating the layers of Greek mythology, she reveals the persistent echoes of gender-based traumas that persist in our present society. Through her works, Damen asks us to question the status quo and challenge the acceptance of these narratives of victimhood. She calls for a reexamination of how women are depicted, discussed, and treated, both in the past and the present.
Resilience and Reimagining: The Feminine Narratives of Jessica Damen brings viewers into a world of expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colors, where the ancient tales of Greek mythology intertwine with contemporary feminist perspectives. Through her captivating paintings, Damen delves into the depths of Greek myths, particularly focusing on stories centered around female goddesses and the victims of patriarchal power. With a nod to magic realism and inspiration drawn from Asian scrolls, Damen's artworks offer a profound exploration of gender, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling. Join us on this transformative journey as we celebrate the power of artistic storytelling and the infinite possibilities that arise when women's voices are given the space they deserve.
- Curator Liz Faust
Beginning with my desire to delve into psychological understandings for my imagery, I found that ancient myths are an excellent prism through which I can reveal forbidden or repressed wishes and desires. While in art school I began painting stories about children, not as an adult’s idealized projection, but more honest narratives that reveal sometimes frightening and as well as whimsical worlds.
ABOUT JESSICA DAMEN
Exhibition Dates:
11.13.23 - 12.12.23
Opening Reception:
11.14.23 4 - 7 pm
Waddell Art Gallery, 21200 Campus Drive, Sterling, VA
Location:
Gallery Hours:
M - F: 9 am - 7 pm
In 2004 Grace Hartigan (1922-2008), internationally renowned artist and then director of the Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) gave me the moniker the “Lewis Carroll of Baltimore.” I believe this a fitting description of my perspective because “…terrible things happened to Alice (of “Alice in Wonderland”) – falls, chases, beheadings…. Jessica is talking about things that happen to children who are both menacing and being menaced.” (Baltimore Sun, Glenn McNatt 2004). I believe Grace’s insight about my perspective is true, even after all these years. I am not afraid to confront menacing presences, whether internal or external while also, I am comfortable exploiting an aesthetic of beauty.
My life has woven through divergent trajectories - from a brief yet impactful career as a Pediatric nurse and college instructor to a research assistant with an environmental education group and activism with Women Strike for Peace. Amid these ventures, I have been an unwavering wife and mother to three remarkable children, together with my husband of forty-five years. These life-interwoven threads eventually led me to Baltimore in 1996, where I embarked on a Post-Baccalaureate program at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). A fervent aspiration materialized as I sought the mentorship of the illustrious Grace Hartigan.
Upon graduating in 2001 with an MFA from MICA, I received a resident fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) in Provincetown, MA where I met Ohio’s resident poet fellow, Maj Ragain. Ragain first told me about the myth of Leda and the Swan and I became fascinated with how that myth lives on today. It is revealed in its contemporary disguise as debates regarding “legitimate vs. illegitimate” rape, and the increasing diminishment of women’s bodily autonomy and agency.
Maj and I continued to converse, share and encourage our respective arts. He was emotionally taken with my painting Leda and the Angry Swan and responsively penned, Leda’s Voice, Under Sky, Over Water in 2003. Thirteen years later I painted, What’s This-Prequel in response to his opening lines, “I lie in the wreckage of my longing which called him down to me…” In 2004 we had a collaborative show at Verde Gallery in Champaign IL and our nearly two-decade collaboration culminated in 2018 with "Home To Sargasso Sea - A long journey of loving collaboration: Paintings by Jessica Damen and Poems by Maj Ragain” at the Kent State University Downtown Gallery and the Wick Poetry Center.
Since 2001 I have exhibited regularly in commercial and academic galleries for solo, invitational and nationally juried shows. Most recently in December, 2019 my solo exhibition, Visions Verses Voices at The Delaplaine Art Center, Frederick MD, created an immersive environment of paintings, and recorded readings of relevant poems and soundscapes.
My artworks can be found in noteworthy private in public collections:
Kearney Co., Alexandria, VA
George Floyd Social Conscience Art Movement Collection, JW Jones, Charlotte, NC
Ginsberg, Feldman & Bress, Attorneys, Washington, DC
GRE Insurance, Inc., New York, NY
IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL and Fairfax, VA
Wick Library Corner, University of Ohio at Kent State, OH
The Polinger Company, Chevy Chase, MD
Rust Insurance Company, Washington, DC
Peter J. Sharp Foundation, New York, NY
Pat and Jeanne Turner, Baltimore, MD
United States Department of State, Art in Embassies Program, 1990-1994
Sidwell Friends School, Washington DC
Sunwest Communications Inc., Dallas, Texas
Zuckerman, Spaeder, Goldstein, Taylor & Kolker, Vienna, VA
ABOUT LIZ FAUST
Liz Faust is a Curator and Professor focusing on contemporary art that acts as a catalyst for broadening viewers’ perspective and way of thinking. Her interests in radical contemporary art led to her former curatorial position at Catalyst Contemporary Gallery and Full Circle Photography Gallery in Baltimore where she welcomed both local and national artists whose work focuses on storytelling and emotive connections. Faust teaches at both the Maryland Institute College of Art and the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a focus on archive exploration, the recontextualizing of narratives, and ADA exhibition design. Faust was also the open call winner of NYC's apexart exhibition proposal with her Elongated Shadows exhibition which was featured in Hyperallergic, e-flux, Esse Arts. Faust was a postgraduate recipient of a masters in curatorial practice studying under George Ciscle at MICA.
