ForImmediateRelease
October6,2016
WELLINMUSEUMOFARTTOPRESENTAMID-CAREERSURVEYOFWORKBYJULIAJACQUETTE
IN2017,FEATURINGTWOSITE-SPECIFICMURALSDESIGNEDFORTHEEXHIBITION
ExhibitionWillExamineTwoBodiesofWorkbyJacquette:
ADecadeofOilPaintingsthatExploreourRelationshipwiththeMediaLandscapethatSurroundsUs
andANewGraphicMemoirBasedontheArchitectureofUrbanPlaygroundsinthe1970s
JuliaJacquette,PlaygroundofMyMind,detail(2010-2015),gouacheonpaper,18x131⁄2inches.Courtesyoftheartist.
Clinton,NY–WiththeexhibitionJuliaJacquette:UnrequitedandActsofPlay,theWellinMuseumofArtat
HamiltonCollegewillpresentamid-careersurveyoftheartist’spaintingsandhernewgraphicmemoir,curatedby
TracyL.Adler,Director,WellinMuseumofArt.TheexhibitionwillbeonviewfromFebruary18throughJuly2,
2017,andanabridgedversionoftheshowwilltraveltotheVisualArtsCenterofNewJerseyinSummit,NJ,where
itwillbeonviewfromSeptember24,2017throughJanuary14,2018.
ThefirstsolomuseumsurveyofJacquette’sworkinmorethanadecade,UnrequitedandActsofPlaywillinclude
loansfromU.S.andEuropeancollections,andmanynewpiecesmadeforthisexhibitionthathaveneverbefore
beenexhibited.ComprisingtwodistinctbutrelatedbodiesofJacquette’swork,theexhibitionincludespaintings
thatexplorethechallengeofnavigatingone'sownidentityandself-worththroughthecontemporarymedia
landscapethatsurroundsus(the“Unrequited”inthetitle),andthenostalgiaof1970splaygrounds(the“Actsof
Play”inthetitle).Jacquette’soilpaintingsfocusonherfascinationwithconsumption,commodification,andthe
desiresevokedandexploitedbytheadvertisingandluxuryindustries.Herprofoundlypersonalgraphicmemoir
comprisedofgouacheworksonpaperistitledPlaygroundofMyMind,andisinspiredbyadventureplaygrounds
designedinNewYorkandAmsterdamduringthe1960sand1970s.ItwillbecopublishedbyPrestelandtheWellin
MuseumofArtinFebruary2017.
ExplainsAdler,“Thisexhibitionexploreshowweinternalizeourresponsetothemedia,andoffersusan
opportunitytobecriticalandreflectiveabouthowthisimageryimpactsourhappiness,ourchoicesandour
society.Inanerainwhichweareconstantlyexposedtoabarrageofcommercializedvisualimagery,weneedtobe
198CollegeHillRoad|Clinton,NY13323|315-859-4396|[email protected]|www.hamilton.edu/wellin
smartaboutthewaysinwhichwecontendwithandcontextualizeit.Jacquettelooksatidentitythroughthelens
ofpersonalexperienceinthegraphicmemoirPlaygroundofMyMindaswellasthroughrapid-firecommercialism
inhersumptuouslypaintedcanvases.Thiskindofexplorationofdoubt,ofselfandofwhoweareasacultureis
notonethatisminedenough.Jacquettegivesustheopportunitytounpackthemeaningofourpastandwhowe
aretodaybyquestioningourplacewithinthisbroadercontext.”
AddsJacquette,“Inmywork,I’mnotsimplybeingcritical,Iamreadilyadmittingmyownvulnerabilityto,and
fascinationwith,thepowerful,andall-invasivenarrativeofamythical,perfect,andofcourseunattainable
existencethatisinsidiouslyandconstantlyputforthtousthroughthemedia.Myworkisindebtedtotraditionsof
paintingthatutilizemediaimages(popart,andalsotheworkofGerman"CapitalistRealist"artistsGerhardRichter
andSigmarPolke),butit’sdifferentbecauseitinterpretsthesimilarsubjectmatterthroughthelensoffeminism.
Mygraphicmemoirexplorestopicsthathavehardlybeencoveredinbooksandscholarship;andit’sanewform
andlanguageforme(comics),chosenasthebestwaytodescribeandvisuallyexplainthissegmentof1970s-era
architectureanddesign.”
PAINTINGSANDMURALS
Throughheroilpaintings,Jacquetteexploreshowthenarrativeofhappinessthroughwealthandstatusisdepicted
inPostwarandcontemporarymedia.Hersubjectsincludepreparedfoods,glamorizedwomen,opulentinteriorsof
therich,andwaterandliquors.Renderingtheseobjectswithphotorealistprecision—frequentlyinviewssoclose
thatthesubjectbecomesabstracted—Jacquettedrawstheviewer’sattentiontotheexcessdepictedbythe
commercialmediaandprofessesherownattractionandrevulsiontotheseidealizedmaterialistictrappings.
Thepaintingsintheexhibitionaddressseveralbroadthemes:“WaterandLiquor”—includingsuchworksasWater
(2010),Rum,Lime(2010)andCognac(2011);“Luxury”—featuringYachtinWater(2009)andPearlNecklace
(2010),amongothers;and“PeriodImagery”—focusingonvintageillustrationsfrommagazinesandcookbooks,
includingapaintingofpreparedfoodstitledAConstantStream(2014),andlipstickinTheMouthsofFourGorgons
(2014).
Jacquette’spaintingscritiquetheidealizedlifestylesportrayedinthemedia,focusingoncommercializedand
fetishizedobjectsofdesire.Yetthesematerialtrappingsareisolatedfromtheircontextandexaggeratedinscalein
paintingsthatspeaktohumandesireandthecomplicationsitpresentspersonally,socially,andculturally.Often
theseworkscontaintheartist’swrittenconfessionsofherowninsecuritiesasshequestionshersimultaneous
attractionandaversiontothesubjectsshedepicts.Inherpaintingsoffemalebodypartsandvariousfoods,the
artistprobesgenderpoliticsandtheconstructsoffemininity.
TheWellinMuseumofArtwillcommissiontwonew,site-specificmurals,each12feethighby16feetwide,tobe
createdbyJacquetteattheMuseumwiththeassistanceofHamiltonstudents.Jacquettepaintedmaquettesfor
themuralsearlierthisyear.Thetwodesignsareinspiredbytheswimmingpoolsdepictedinluxury
advertisements,showingilluminatedclear-bluewater,symbolizingperfection,warmth,andwealth.InJacquette’s
reinterpretationtheyareabstractedtosoothingswirlsofaqua.GoldenArtistColors,theworld-renowned
producersofartist’soils,acrylics,andwatercolors,locatedneartheMuseum,inNewBerlin,NY,isdeveloping
paintsspecificallycustomizedforthesemurals.
GRAPHICMEMOIR
Alsoonviewintheexhibitionwillbeaseriesof60originalgouachesonpaperthatcompriseagraphicmemoir
entitledPlaygroundofMyMind(2010-2015).ThisbookwillbecopublishedbyPrestelandtheWellinMuseumof
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Art,availableinFebruary2017.
Theartistbeganworkingontheprojectin2007,inspiredbytheadventureplaygroundsfromheryouthgrowingup
inNewYorkCity,oneofwhichwasdesignedbyherfatheraspartofthefirmRossRyanJacquette.Thememoir
depictstheBrutalistarchitectureoftheplaygroundsandsurroundinglandscapeofNewYorkCitybuildings.Italso
includeshermother,her1970sfashions,andlandmarksoftheeralikeAlexander’sdepartmentstore.The
adventureplaygroundswerecreatedbyarchitectsRichardDattner,M.PaulFriedberg,andthepartnershipofRoss,
Ryan,andJacquetteinNewYorkCity,andbyAldovanEyckinAmsterdam.Thesestructuresencouraged
constructive,imaginativeplayandgaverenewedlifetoutopiannotionsofAmericanandEuropeanmodernist
architecture.
BearingaffinitieswithJacquette’sotherwork,PlaygroundofMyMindreflectsupontheperiodofthe1960sand
1970swhichwasatumultuoustimeofsocialchangeandactivisminNewYorkCityandthroughouttheUnited
States.Simultaneously,sheconsiderstheconflictedemotionsthatenvelopidealizedaspectsofthepast.Through
Julia’sexquisitearchitecturaldrawingsandstorytelling,thenostalgiaforabygoneeraofNewYorklifeiscaptured
invividdetail.
RelatedProgramming
Asectionoftheexhibitionwillbereservedforcommunity-organized,play-orientedprojectsthatreflectideasput
forthbyPlaygroundofMyMind.MeganAustin,AssociateDirectorattheWellinMuseumofArt,willcuratethe
exhibition’splay-activitysection.
Monograph
JuliaJacquette:UnrequitedandActsofPlaywillbeaccompaniedbyamajormonographicpublicationwithessays
byTracyL.Adler,Director,WellinMuseumofArt,andwriterJamesTrainor.ItwillbecopublishedbytheWellin
MuseumofArtandPrestelin2017.
AbouttheArtist
JuliaJacquette(b.1964)isanAmericanartistwhodivideshertimebetweenAmsterdamandNewYorkCity.Her
workhasbeenshownextensivelyatgalleriesandmuseumsaroundtheworld,includingTheMuseumofModern
Art,TheMuseumofFineArtsBoston,andTheRISDMuseum,amongotherinstitutions.Jacquette’sworkwas
includedinthefirstinstallmentofMoMAPS1's"GreaterNewYork"exhibitionin2000,andthesubjectofthe
OpenerSeriesofsoloexhibitionsbyemergingartistsattheTangTeachingMuseumatSkidmoreCollegein
SaratogaSpringsin2004.ShehastaughtattheRhodeIslandSchoolofDesign,PrincetonUniversity,andis
currentlyonthefacultyattheFashionInstituteofTechnology(NYC).
AbouttheRuthandElmerWellinMuseumofArt
DesignedbyMachadoSilvetti,theRuthandElmerWellinMuseumofArtatHamiltonCollegeopenedinOctober
2012.Throughitsexhibitions,publicprograms,andeducationaloutreach,themuseumpromotesinterdisciplinary
approachesandthecross-fertilizationofconceptsandideasvitaltoaliberalartseducation.Themuseumworks
withemergingandestablishedartistsandcollaborateswithHamiltonstudentsandfacultytodevelop
programmingexploringawiderangeofdisciplines.Themuseumfeaturesa27-foot-highvisiblearchive,a6,200square-footexhibitionspace,andotheramenitiesthatfostercommonexchangeandlearning.
www.hamilton.edu/wellin
Formediainquiries,pleasecontact:
FITZ&CO
LizaEliano,[email protected],646-589-0921
MegBlackburn,[email protected],212-620-7390
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