CPS All-City Visual Arts Exhibitions

Teacher Name: Jesse Wyss
Grade: 12

Materials: Alcohol markers, stamps, colored pencils
Dimensions: 8” × 6”
Description: Centerfold of a zine. Each drawing of the couch is a cut out piece of paper that is layered on to the page. Inspired by the couch in my grandparents’ house, where I was partially raised.

Artist Statement: I’m forever influenced by Riot Grrrl culture of the 90s; the act of creating and spreading information in the form of zines, the brash and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and the DIY nature of that subculture are pillars of my personal philosophy. I believe that art should be shared as easily as possible. The prestige and reputation that certain gallery spaces or museum showings possess act to categorize certain types of art as more important than others. This leads to work which does not fall into these categories being ignored or devalued. I think that collage is one of these art forms. For me, collage is the perfect medium. It allows me to be as creatively free as possible without having to worry about my access to or quality of materials. I’m really drawn to its eclectic and experimental nature. I’m a very scatterbrained person, my brain is running a thousand miles a second constantly; this is why I make artwork that is very colorful and busy. I need all of the corners of a piece to be full, otherwise I won’t feel satisfied. I also highly value texture. Along with my belief that art should be shared, I think that it should be touched! I love including fiber elements in my work to create variation in the texture. In my portfolio I included a piece in which I cross stitched an image of meat and mounted the stitching onto butcher paper. This piece, along with a 100% fiber zine, is a love letter to texture. My creative practice is all about experimentation. I have been able to teach myself a lot of the techniques that I utilize in my practice. Once I get the urge to try something new, I am eager to learn everything I can about it. I think that this passion keeps my art ever-evolving. Although I’m in my senior year of high school, I feel like I’m just getting started. I have so much more to say with my work, and so many more people to share it with.