2021 Grad Show

Jillianne Kell

AUArts Grad Show Screen Shot 2021-05-18 at 6.57.08 PM

Painting

While the 60’s and 70’s was an era I was not present for, the surface patterns of the fabrics of that time have been present in my life, specifically my childhood as I grew up with an abundance of fabric within the home from my mother’s love of sewing. I use personal childhood photographs and floral surface patterns from the ‘60s and ‘70s to create domestic nostalgic imagery of varying colourful abstract patterned environments and figures. The patterns that are referenced in my work come from the ‘60s and ‘70s décor and flower power style clothing of that era.

The work I am creating is inherently auto-ethnographic, as I explore my personal feelings and experiences to understand a broader social context of the world. The work delves into both specific moments of memories as well as the places and people that inhabited those moments and allows me to both look inward to understand myself better while simultaneously expanding my knowledge of how other individuals perceive nostalgia and childhood memories. My nostalgia and personal memories are explored through the use of specific photographic scenes from my childhood, comprised of various domestic moments of gathering and interactions with loved ones. The act of breaking up my photographed childhood moments into fragmented floral patterns brings a positive and idealized nostalgic remembering of my past, more so than what the physical photographs alone are capable of doing. Through this exploration of nostalgic moments of my childhood, a social connectedness to my family and a longing for a particular time or place is conjured, even if some of these moments couldn’t possibly be remembered personally.

"Nostalgic Floral Trip"

A series exploring overwhelming patterns, nostalgia and childhood.

"Mother/Graft/Memory"

30 x 40 in, acrylic on canvas, 2021

"Remember When?"

60 x 40 in, acrylic on canvas, 2021

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