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 Jennifer Jigour
San Jose , California-
United States
Acrylics-
Social Commentary
Artist Statement
Seemingly broad in medium and subject, my work tries to bridge the link of various social inequalities, (specifically the queer female experience, gender, and race), the struggles they face throughout history to the present, and the desire for peace within oneself and the world, which can be so simply found in the harmony of nature.
Note: All digital works of art include my own original photography work and are not created from public domain images off the web or works of art by other people.
In addition, I have an extended portfolio If you are interested in seeing more work send me an email. Email: VivaElan3@aol.com
phone:
(408) 836-0744
website:
www.myspace.com/rapunzel3
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Artist Blogs
New Artist Site
2008-07-22
Here is a link to another artist site with more artwork. The official site is coming soon...
http://www.itsartnotstuff.com/ansUserHome.aspx?userId=66
In The Nude – And Other Controversial Topics
2008-06-18
First of all, a big hug and congratulations to all the same sex couples who are now able to marry in California. My best friends, Amber & Marlys, who are in two of my paintings on this site, are one of the many lesbian couples who tied the knot this year.
Now on to the nudity. I’ve had a couple of close encounters with the topic these past few months. In May, I performed an autobiographical monologue at Femina Portens in San Francisco and as the punch line I stripped completely naked in front of 60+ people. I’ll always remember the gasp from the audience when it happened. Believe me, the nudity was seriously for artistic reasons. Although a liberating experience, I have no future plans to become a striper. To be honest, it wasn’t the hardest part of the act. I was more worried about crying in the middle of the piece and once it came time for stripping I thought, “Oh, thank god I can take my clothes off now.”
I suppose the question is, “Why am I telling you this? And, What does this have to do with studio art and the art on this site?” Well, I have no problems with nudity. I think the human body is a beautiful form in all of its varied shapes and sizes. Furthermore, I don’t see how nudity in art, when tastefully done, should be censored for persons 14 years or younger.
Okay, okay, don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to support persons under 14 years of age looking at pornography. However, I honestly don’t see how my painting “Soviet Angels” can be considered offensive in terms of sexuality/nudity and something to censor.
I recently tried to add the image to my myspace page. A few hours after I added it a received a message saying that they had to delete it because of it’s sexuality/nudity content and that it was offensive to people 14 years of age or younger. I thought, “wow, that painting wasn’t even intended to be sexually explicit.” I’m all for people interpreting my art and am well aware that it may be different from my original intention, but I’d like to take a moment to explain the piece in order to clear any misunderstandings.
I’m very interested in Russian/Soviet art, culture, and history. “Soviet Angels” is not only an exercise in changing my own style of painting, it is also about female sexuality in Russian during the soviet period. This past year I read a fantastic book called “Cracks in the Iron Closet.” Part of the book discusses lesbians in during the soviet era. I also picked up a book while in Australia called, “Soviet Art.” Both books were instrumental in creating “Soviet Angels.” The painting is a tribute to all off the anonymous women of the soviet era who struggled and persevered through hard times for love. The relationship between the angel and the women is not a sexual one. The angel is the Russian ancestor who lived through those hard times in order for the Russian Women of today to rise up and love in the open without shame.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I think that the message is important and something a 14 year old could understand. I know when I was 14 I would have appreciated it. It seems amazing to me that although “Soviet Angels” was banned from Myspace, there are still plenty of provocative pictures of women almost falling out of their bikinis that pass as acceptable.
Art is subjective and apparently so is appropriateness.
Before I uploaded the painting on myspace a French friend of mine and his 9 year old daughter commented on the painting in person. The young girl loved it! And the father didn’t object to it or feel embraced or give any hint that the image was wrong. Their reaction combined is what made me feel that uploading the painting on myspace was okay. Maybe it’s a cultural thing. Maybe Myspace-France would have turned a blind eye to “Soviet Angels.” Does America patronize it’s people too often? Or is it just Myspace?
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