Jessica Weiss is a native New Yorker who received her BA from Oberlin College and studied at the New York Studio School in the mid 1970s. Always interested in texture and color she happened upon wallpaper in the early 80’s and has been collaging these scraps of domestic culture for their optical and psychological power ever since, combining pieces wallpaper with silkscreened patterns, fabric and paint.
 
The artist (who received a National Endowment for the Arts' Fellowship in Painting in 1989) has had solo exhibitions at 490 ATLANTIC (Brooklyn), Outlet Fine Art (Bushwick, Brooklyn), A. M. Richard Fine Art (Brooklyn) and Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery (New York City). Her her work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Art in America, TimeOut NY, The Baltimore Sun, and the New York Observer. Weiss has appeared in numerous group exhibitions including "Two Friends and So On" at Andrew Kreps, "Seaworthy" at Edward Thorpe, "Three Degrees of Separation" at Sonnabend Gallery, and "The Stroke" (selected by Elizabeth Murray) at Exit Art. A recent painting was acquired by the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College.
 

Artist Statement

In my current paintings I delve into the realm of figurative representation, crafting solitary figures from a vibrant and tactile mix of scavenged decorative materials and paint. These figures, with their outstretched arms and held objects, serve as symbols of human connection and introspection.They convey moments of offering and/or receiving, inviting viewers to pause and reflect in the midst of life’s tumultuousness.
 
Over three decades ago my interest in the domestic led me to search for a mark that felt authentic and resonated with my fundamental abstract aesthetic. It was during this search that I discovered wallpaper as both the material and the expressive gesture I had been seeking. I became captivated by the seamless fusion of wallpaper’s mimetic elements with abstraction. This allowed me to navigate between representational and abstract realms. Wallpaper, as a cultural fabric, has become a significant element in my artistic toolbox, infusing my work with layers of meaning and history.
 
Using collage, paint, and a range of printing methods, I treat patterns as one might use a brushstroke. It’s a dynamic process of playful back and forth, leading to moments of discovery and narrative construction. These ready-made designs, brimming with suggestion and association, serve as a foundation for the emergence of evocative forms in believable spaces.
 
Informed by my ten years of Buddhist practice I have cultivated a way of listening carefully and observing deeply. This approach has seeped into my work, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in prolonged looking. Within the intricate interplay of patterns and unexpected juxtapositions, serenity coexists with activity, offering viewers an opportunity to find tranquility within an active visual tapestry.