left: Maria (2010); right: Dawn (2010).
British artist Jessica Harrison undermines the saccharine innocence of porcelain figurines in a manner which would no doubt appeal to a Surrealist and black humorist like Jan Svankmajer. As well as these recent pieces, her website features further contemporary takes on Surrealism including a number of pencil drawings, one of which is a self-portrait alluding to that Svankmajer favourite, Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Surrealism, graphic design and Barney Bubbles
• Jan Svankmajer: The Complete Short Films
I just discovered Jessica Harrison’s work and I am truly transfixed by it. Her figurines of the macabre at once conjure up nostalgia for these porcelain figures I would find in my grandmother’s home as well as my own childhood bedroom. This figurines gave my imagination always something to consider; I would make up “lives” for these figurines.
Now, to see Harrison’s work using these fragile and careful beauties of porcelain, I am speechless really.
The figures’ seeming devil-may-care quality make them both more starling, beautiful, and even humorous.
Thanks for discussing this artist … I found your blog via Technorati and plan on returning again and again.
Best,
CMc