Jessica McVicker’s Artist Statement
I was born in the lush mountain trees of British Columbia. I often dream about living amongst those big trees. The mountains are something I intrinsically miss, but because of them, I thoroughly appreciate and understand the vast sky, desolate and subtle landscape of the Northwest Territories where I now reside.
My greatest moments on canvas are the ones I make impulsively, directed by the subconscious. Each painting unfolds a unique story exploring the depths of the unknown, trying to describe the meaning of our world through colour, form and theme. For me art is a spiritual quest intrinsically tied to visual understandings.
Art history is a huge inspiration for me and within art history the ideas behind art are what inspire me more than any specific style. Impressionism’s conveyance of the every day life, Kandinsky’s portrayal of music visually or even Marcel Duchamp’s “readymades” that transformed the scope of what art is. For me I am still looking for the right questions and answers in my art. At the moment colour is playing the pivotal role.
In 2007 I became dedicated to acrylic paint. While painting over the years I have become a colourist, exploring initially the confines of a limited palette (4 colours including white) and now stretching far beyond just those four to encompass a seemingly limitless colour scheme.
I am fascinated by how objects are knitted together. I am interested in how animals/humans/buildings can be visually defined or combined without loosing their integrity. I use diverse colour and shape unified by tone to create my multi-coloured pictures.
As time goes on I will continue to explore between the boundaries of the real and the unreal and ask my questions of this thing called “art”.
& Curriculum Vitae
2022, November - Solo Art Show at Gallery on 47th Street in Yellowknife
2022, April - Sold out Solo Exhibit entitled “Up North” At Northern United Place, Yellowknife
2022, May - Overzealous Art show at Art Space Connect Gallery, Toronto
2021 - Art Show at NACC (Northern Arts and Cultural Centre) in Yellowknife
2021 - Toronto Outdoor Art Show (TOAF)
2021 - Federation of Canadian Artists Online juried exhibition “Water”
2020, August - Online Juried show with the Federation of Canadian Artists.
2020, July 2-12 - Toronto Online Art Show (TOAF).
2020, March 3-15 - “Abstracted” Juried show at the Federation of Canadian Artists in Vancouver.
2019, July 12-14 - TOAF (Toronto Outdoor Art Fair) A 3 day juried art fair in Toronto, Ontario.
2019, June 15th - Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre’s 40th birthday event
2019, June 7 - 14th - Solo art show at Northern Images in Yellowknife.
2018, September - ARCC Social Fabric group art show
2018, July - Great Northern Arts Festival
2018, July - Exposition in Verona, Italy
2018 - Juried Show entitled "Go Figure" at the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery in Vancouver
2018 - International winner of Fomenar jury prize 2017
2018, March - Part of Fusion Art's 6th Quarterly Group Art Exhibition
2017 - Active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists
2017 - Solo Art Show at NACC (Northern Arts and Cultural Centre) in Yellowknife
2017 - Solo "Now You See Me" Art show at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) in Yellowknife
2016 - Solo Art Show at the Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre in Fort Smith
2016 - Group art show with Yellowknife Heritage Committee in Yellowknife
2016 - 2017 Opened and ran own gallery and studio entitled JAMmed studio in Yellowknife
2015 - Winner of the Northwestel Directory Cover Art Competition for the Northwest Territories
2015 - Art Show at NACC (Northern Arts and Cultural Centre) in Yellowknife
2015 - Artist at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik
2015 - Solo Art Show at ARCC (Artist Run Community Centre) in Yellowknife
2015 - Solo Art Show at the Snow King Castle in Yellowknife
2010 - Bachelors in the Arts from AUArts (Alberta University of the Arts) in
Calgary AB
2003 - Apprentice Stone Sculptor with John McKinnon in Nelson BC
2001 - 1st year at Kootenay School of Arts (KSA) in Nelson BC