Page 5 - Jessica K Ballantyne Studio Zine 2020

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Spend a little time with me... y dreams have changed and matured which led me to develop an interest in

teaching. In 2017 I achieved a UK teaching qualification and taught art and
Mdesign part time at a further education college in Dagenham- that was in-
tense! I learnt a wealth of things about myself I did not know before- my capacity to take
control in extreme circumstances being one of them, as well as how to feign confidence.
et me invite you into my world as a contemporary artist working with a subject matter I I left the college in 2020 at the start of Lockdown and have now got a TEFL qualification
find infinitely fascinating and revealing: the body mind. If you are a lover of psychology and teach kids English online which gives me time to focus on my art. Through explor-
Land the human mind like me, you are in awe of the mystery and power that sits between ing and experiencing myself and others through a variety of very different contexts:
our ears. teaching, studying, art collectives etc. I have a better idea about what I want out of life
and the kind of people I want to share it with.
riginal artwork has something very special: the artist’s spirit, their movement, their
time; a huge part of who they are as real people. When you collect art from artists you nspired, creative friendships are not always easy to find. I’m grateful to be part of two
Olove, there is the feeling that you are getting so much more than just paint on canvas. art collectives, The Tunnel and Artcan, where I have been introduced to like-minded
Artwork has a quality that is difficult to describe. As a collector of art myself, I come to find that Ipeople and have made creative connections that helped me to expand my knowl-
the works I own have a creative residue that affects me whenever I truly look at an artwork. In edge and practice. Creating art helps me reach a calmer state of mind. I hope it comes
my opinion, this is the reason art lovers choose to surround themselves with their own personal through and spills over into you. This studio zine is the culmination of eight years of art
and unique ideas of what is beautiful or what touches them. This is the immense power of art! making and experimenting. There are new pieces as well as old. All of these artworks are
reflections of my interests and psychology at different points in my life. I would go so
alues that are important to my practice include honesty, openness and lifelong learning. far as to say my artworks are a like a visual diary. Its been interesting putting this zine
My passion for study led me to enrol for a Fine Art degree at the University of Pretoria, together and seeing all the different series in one place.
Vin South Africa where I was born. My second name, Kay, is from my gran, Kathleen,
who I believe I get my will to provoke from (don’t tell her that)! I lived with my gran during the timulating conversations are one of the things I live for. I love connecting with peo-
end of high school and all through university. She came to LOVE the oil paint on her carpets ple and sharing profound experiences, although it’s very rare. If you like my work,
and cushions, the big paintings of bosoms and nude bodies all over the house (she told me this Syou are probably interested in the beauty of connection and the mysteries of the hu-
only after I had moved out of the house and to a different country far, far away). She would man mind too. You appreciate the work that goes into a piece of art, and its value. Most
walk into her lounge (my part time studio) and fake a gasp, “OH JESSIE, what are you painting importantly, you never buy an artwork that doesn’t make your heart throb!
NOW!!”. It would make her laugh, but she never judged me or told me I should paint land-
scapes. I really love her for that. Occasionally though, I would have to hide my work when the his is a difficult time for all and it’s even more important to connect now, as much
priest came to visit! I have always used the body as a starting point because, for me, the body as possible and spread love and goodness- art is the perfect tool for this! I’m
houses the mind and spirit, and therefore is an important aspect to meditate on as human be- Thappy to help you find the perfect piece for your space. I love a chat so if you have
ings. Themes of the ‘self’ and eroticism are present in my work and this, along with my interest any questions or want to chat about a piece, do get in touch!
in psychology and Surrealism, make my art an exploration of Self, what it means to look, to
observe the Self, and to contemplate the identity that appears ‘attached’ to the body. o now, spend a little time with me, make
yourself a cup of tea, sit back and
ngland was where I moved in 2009, with the ambition of making my dreams come true. Senjoy...If you want to see more of an art-
As I struggled to make a living, I ended up in a little Cambridgeshire village, where I work, simply cick on the image to see
Espent two years in a very stressful job as a laboratory assistant; living on site, in a dilapi- more details, pictures etc.
dated caravan: it was terrible in some ways, but quite fun in other ways as we had a little com-
munity of people from South Africa and Europe and we formed friendships and partied in our
little caravans in between the long, hard hours. I did not manage to make much art during this Warmly
time but it allowed me to save up to get a studio. I quit that job and in 2012 left for London,
where I started renting my first studio and met my mentor and friend who helped me to find Jess
my artistic voice during that period: Laurent Cahard; an excellent artist and writer. Unfortu-
nately, we had to part ways in 2015, when he moved back to France and I sadly learnt a few
months back that Laurent had tragically passed away, alone and without notifying his family
or friends. It’s been incredibly sad to lose such an important person to me but I feel him all the
time and can still hear his beautiful, heavy french accent at times when I’m contemplating my
work. I still consider Laurent to be a great influence and his memory will live on forever in my
heart. A few of the paintings in the beginning of this catalogue were made with his guidance
and input.

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