Jenny Wu
PORTRAIT OF A PAINTER
www. jennywuart.com jennychwu@gmail.com
drawing
ar
delight
emerging space
study from the masters
landscape painting
drafting
event photography
imaging
miles & may
joint composition
JENNYWU
amor roma
t .
DRAWING
Study of Foot charcoal on paper 18” x 24” 2011
Light Will Guide You Home charcoal on paper, collage 18” x 41” 2012
The Cross of Snow mixed media 28” x 44.5” 2012
Three Years Ago
mixed media
19.5” x 32” 2012
Dancers oil stick on paper 31” x 46” 2012
Pond, Pond oil stick on canvas 25” x 47.5” 2012
Lost in the Forest oil stick on paper 23.5” x 34.5” 2012
title oil stick on paper 23.5” x 34.5” 2012
In the Shadow of the Leafless Tree oil stick on paper 33.5” x 43.5” 2012
SKETCHBOOK
Sketchbook is a visual journal, a creative diary, and an idea repository.
Houghton House, Interior
DRAFTING Lloyd Lewis House Frank Lloyd Wirght Libertyville, Illinois 1939
Axonometric Drawing of Villa Capra “La Rotonda”
The Red Blue Chair Gerrit Rietveld 1917
Single point perspective drawing Measured on-site, constructed in the studio
Katherine D. Elliott Studio Arts Center Geneva, NY
LANDSCAPE
PAINTING
Landscape paintings over four years, of Geneva NY and Chautauqua NY.
Once upon a Time in Mayville oil on paper 18” x 24”
2010 2009
Far, Far Away oil on board 8” x 10”
2012
Birch Trees oi l on canvas 28” x 28”
20 1 1
One Way oi l on canvas 24” x 36”
Late Afternoon oil on board 8” x 10” 2010
Far, Far Away oil on board 8� x 10� 2010
To me, the process of painting is a balance between the eye, mind and body. I stare at things, critically interpret what I see, and then transform my understanding of the moment into color and shapes on canvas.
Cloudy Day oil on canvas 12” x 20” 2011
I am a perceptual painter, a sensitive person, and I paint the landscape based on observation. I consider my landscape paintings as unfinished investigations of the changes in motif and the ongoing exploration of the wonders in nature. Birch Trees oil on canvas 28” x 28” 2011
Nature is so unpredictable and attractive because of the color and the light, two of the most significant elements in my visual world, which are constantly changing. Changes are the essential reason to keep things interesting and enlivened to me, because unpredictably,
change and curiosity are inherent to my human nature. Color creates visual stimulation and has great power to affect my mood. I look at, stare at and feel the color, and then attack the canvas with the color that I feel is emotionally right. Light is another key factor in my work. Mayville, after it Rained oil on canvas 12” x 24” 2011
Lakeview II oil on canvas 118 x 34” 2011
Sometimes I capture the honest lighting of the landscape; sometimes, I create a mixed, therefore mysterious, light atmosphere instead.
Henri oil on canvas 17� x 29� 2011
Besides my background in fine art, my additional undergraduate training in pre- architecture has made me extremely sensitive to form and space, in a plastic sense.
One Way oil on canvas 24� x 36� 2012
Elliot III oil on canvas 12” x 54” 2012
Plasticity is what I want to achieve in my work. A painting is only dirt and oil on a surface, but I believe it can take on a life of its own in an artist’s hand. I am pushing my work to the edge of abstraction and representation; therefore each
color and shape has multiple meanings, could be read in different spaces at the same time, and creates the visual forces of push and pull on the canvas surface. In my current work, I am constantly searching for the abstraction inside
representation, discovering the organic moments in detailed places and maintaining a bold idea of composition. I try to unfold the spirituality of art, and present a poetic feeling.
Snow, Pond, Barn oi l on canvas 54� x 72� 2012
Being outside, breathing in nature, painting the motif I observe— it is my soul’s desire to escape the daily entrapments of the mind’s concerns.
And the Snow Fell oil on canvas 30” x 34” 2012
I mostly paint the landscape, but not merely the scenery; rather, my work presents the feeling of being in one place. I seek to create a visual equivalence of nature and hope to take the viewers’ soul there too.
She Who Smelt It, Dealt iT oi l on canvas 28” x 42” 2012
A Patch of Old Snow oil on canvas 28� x 48� 2012
Every painting is an adventure, and as a painter, I am wandering into an unknown zone to make discoveries that are meaningfully original.
If Time is All I Have oil on canvas 54” x 144” 2012
STUDY FROM THE
MASTERS
Steal like an artist. Understand a painting through a pencil. Every Tuesday at 8 pm, my friends and I get on Skype, stare at a painting, draw from it, try to understand it, and borrow ideas from the masters.
Le bonheur de vivre (The Joy of Life) Henri Matisse 1905-06 oi on canvas 69 1/8 “ x 94 7/8 “
Dining Room Overlooking the Garden (The Breakfast Room) Pierre Bonnard 1930-31 oi on canvas 62 7/8” x 44 7/8”
The Cello Player Edwin Dickinson 1924 – 1926 oi on canvas 60” x 48”
Cityscape I Richard Diebenkorn 1963 oil on canvas 60” x 50” San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
In the Salon of the Rue des Moulins Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 1894 oil on canvas 111.5 x 132.5 cm Muee Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi
The Old Mill Vincent Van Gogh 1888 oil on canvas, 25 1/2” x 21 1/4 “ Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Landscape of Cagnes/Paysage de Cagnes Chaim Soutine 1924-25 oil on canvas 60.5 x 73 cm The Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Portrait of a Philosopher (Artist’s brother, Pavel Sergeyevich Popov) 1915 Lyubov Popova
I took a section of an abstract painting, and pulled the two dimensional form into a three dimensional space. The elevation stayed honest to the section of the painting, but there is a lot to explore underneath the surface.
EMERGING
SPACE
DE
LIGHT
A Passage in Light Early Inspirations Waterfront Reggio ˆItaly by Zaha Hadid the flow of space; intertwined form; organic shapes; radial symmetry.
Model One continuous element to form a intertwined space; but the passage is not clear enough; the space is not controlled, too wide open.
Model Two wrapped around walls; the whole structure share a common angle; no floor to guide viewers; cannot predict the end, maintains the curiosity of human;
Model Three has a clearer floor; repeated linear elements to create pattern shadows; shapes slide into each other; in the end, the space is compressed, and the floor is fairly simple, what is left, is the liner bars and their liner shadows on the wall
Final Model maintains the linear elements from the last model, but reduces the amount to find a balance; viewers are driven, they do not drive.
JOINT
COMPOSITION Phase One a study of Japanese joinery thought drawing and modeling, in both chipboard and wire
Phase Two I explored the ways how a dot, a line and a plane interact with each other, and analyzed what happens at the moment when they meet.
When I simplify the forms and narrowed down to the fundamentals, De Stijl quality emerged as the core.
Phase Three Revisions of previous models, emphasizing the moment when all the elements passing each other through a De Stijl language
The second to last model is overworked, when too much unnecessary elements appeared. Design is not a linear process. Sometimes, I need to overwork, and then fight it back.
Final Model In the final model, all length of every single piece is based on the golden ratio. It allows people to view from different angles and get different experiences. All lines and planes follows the coordinate system; When it comes to the color choice, I explored varieties color combinations, and eventually decided on the primary colors plus black.
Piet Mondrian Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow 1930
FURNITURE MAKING WITH
MILES & MAY
In the fall of 2011, I interned at Miles and May Furniture Works, in Geneva, NY, where furniture is produce honest in its craftsmanship and true to a material’s properties in function and form. During an academic term, another intern Colby Mauke and I produced 20 JPA Stools and 12 Ray Round Miorrors.
JPA STOOL H:20 W:12 L:12”
RAY ROUND MIRROR H:24.25 W:24.25 d:1.25”
LAY OUT WOOD and ROUGH CUT
Avoid -Sap Wood: Most recent growth -Knots: Where a limb once grew from the tree -Checks: Splits in the wood Remove tree bark and extraneous wood
JOINT ONE FACE
Make bottom face flat to reference on the straight line rip saw and planer
STRAIGHT LINE
Feed wood along fence into conveyor belt As long as the piece goes in straight, the edges will be parallel Now there are two true edges Final cut leg and top widths
PLANE Feed each piece through the planer end to end Pull up on the pieces as they exit to reduce sniping Repeat this process until reaching the final dimension Make sure to measure with calipers
LAY OUT and GLUE SEAT TOPS
Match the grain and color, keep sap wood face down Brush glue onto sides and clamp together Wait as least four hours for glue to dry Unclamp and scrap off excess glue
ROUGH TURN
Cut legs to 22� on sliding table saw Center leg bottom by tapping it into the lathe clamp Rough turn legs on an automated lathe
SAND LEGS
Sand legs on lathe using 80 and 150 grit sand papers Measure the diameter with calipers to make sure it is slightly smaller than 1�
ROUGH TURN SEAT TOPS
Place the seat top in the wooden jig and screw the metal lathe plate into the seat top Remove the jig and attach the lathe plate to the lathe Hand spin the seat top to rough dimensions Sand down with 80 and 150 grit sand papers
DRILL HOLES ON TOPS
Place the seat top face up in the jig Use the drill press to create a 1� hole on four corners of the seat top Turn the jig around 180° and place seat top face down Drill four countersink holes on the corners
SAND SEAT TOPS
Hand sand seat tops on using 80 and 150 grit sand papers
ASSEMBLE LEGS and SEAT TOPS
Cut out wedge into leg top on bandsaw Apply glue to top of the legs and the wedges Insert legs into the seat tops and hammer wedges into legs Saw off the rest of the protruding legs and sand flush to seat tops
PATCH
Fill any holes or defects in seat tops and legs with wax free shellac Pour fine saw dust to wax free shellac until it no longer absorbs Leave to dry for 30 minutes and sand off
STEAM
Put a drop of water on the dent and iron until steam raises the dented fibers
FINAL SAND
Sand seat tops using 100, 150 and 220 grit sand paper Sand legs with 220 grit sand paper Round the both seat edges and leg corners and edges
OIL FINISH
Wipe on oil with clean rags making sure to cover the stool completely Wipe off all excess oil and allow to dry Apply clear coat lacquer with a sprayer Sand with 320 grit and spray three more coats Sand with 400 grit Final spray the sheen coat *Ways of finish may vary
The first few steps for making mirrors are the same as stool making, such as laying out wood, rough cutting, jointing, planing, and straight lining
MAKE KEYS
Joint, plane and cut the board to the final width using the jointer, planer and straight liner Sand plane the board to the final height Cut keys to final length using table saw
CUT SIDES
Use the sliding table saw to cut the length to 16 1/8� at a 112.5° angle Flip the piece around to cut the same angle on the other side
CUT NOTCH
Use the table saw with a dado blade to cut a notch half of width of the key into both ends
LAY OUT
The same rules of laying out apply, match grain and color
GLUE SIDES
Apply glue to the ends of each piece as well as the keys Use a rachet to clamp the sides together in the shape of an octagon Let set for at least four hours drying time
ROUGH and FINAL CUT
Rough cut the inside circle off using a jig saw Final cut the inside circle using a jig and the shaper
Rough cut the outside circle using the band saw Final cut the outside circle using a jig the shaper
ROUTE INSIDE
Use the router and rabbet bit with three different bearing sizes staring with the largest to route a shallow track for the mirror to rest in After three passes with the different sizes fenses arrive at the final depth
Before
After
PATCH
Fill any holes or defects in seat tops and legs with wax free shellac Pour fine saw dust to wax free shellac until it no longer absorbs Leave to dry for one hour and sand off
FINAL SAND
Sand all sides using 100, 150 and 220 grit sand paper Round the five edges for protection and appearance
OIL FINISH
Wipe on oil with clean rags making sure to cover the stool completely Wipe off all excess oil and allow to dry *Ways of finish may vary
Basic Steps of Furniture Making
IMAGING I am interested in what happens after push the shutter I use Photoshop, to create a visual wonderland, Broken up, analyzed, re-assembled, and Cubist
2009
ILLUSION
LOST 2010
2011
SLEEPWALKING
ILLUSION What we see is what we think we see Not a complete reality When human’ eyes see three dimensional objects in space, we believe in it By merging several similar photographs against next to each other, Their brains are forced to see a two dimensional plane I want you to see what I see
LOST
These photographs are digital recombinations of interiors of buildings on campus. They are all public spaces that have an institutional look with simple and clean lines. There are some elements easy to recognize, such as stairs, “exit” signs, lights, and pipes. After photographing a space, I used parts of different images to create new spaces. The title of the project is “Lost” because I want to make them abstract but still represent the space. I also feel that “Lost” is an appropriate title because the space I created in my photographs does not exist in the real world.
I chose to print in black and white because I want the viewer to pay attention to the abstract shapes and visual forces within the images. The process of removing color also subtracts from the amount of information and I want viewers to enjoy the feeling of the illusion of space. I kept a little red, such as “EXIT” signs and fire pull stations, which emphasizes that this should be a place you are very familiar with, but you still “Lost.”
SLEEPWALKING Continued to explore the ideas from previous work, but this time, I was in Italy.
EVENT
PHOTOGRAPHY
Being a photographer is to observe, to capture a moment, experience thought the lens Since sophomore year, I have been a student photographer for Office of Communications I photographed events and students’ life for weekly online photo journal “This Week in Photos” So far, over one hundred of my photographs were published.
AMOR
ROMA
Pantheon pencil on paper 22” x 30”
My Italian professor Sebastiano Lucci said that in Italian culture, it is not common to say “love“ everyday, and the word “love“ means much more than in English. When I was in Italy, I found graffiti of “ti amo“ all over the place, so I started to photograph them. The day before I left Italy, I wrote down the 99th one along the Tiber River.
TI AMO
Jenny Wu EDUCATION Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS), Geneva, NY Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, Architectural Studies Honors in Studio Art Phi Beta Kappa Society, Laurel Society, Dean’s List Arts Scholarship, Faculty Scholarship Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, Rome, Italy
2012 GPA:3.95
Spring 2011
EXHIBITIONS Jenny Wu: Landscape Perceptions, Geneva, NY (solo) Ontario County College Student Art Show, Phelps Art Center, Phelps, NY Third Annual Gala Art Exhibit, Geneva, NY Fifth Annual Billsboro Winery Plein Air Fesitival, Geneva, NY 6x6x2012, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY Art and Architecture Student Show, Davis Gallery, Geneva, NY
2012
VACI Annual Student Show, Fowler-Kellogg Art Gallery, Chautauqua, NY The Sketchbook Project 2011, Nationwide Tour AMLP:Photomobile, Nationwide Tour Art and Architecture Student Show, Davis Gallery, Geneva, NY
2011
Chautauqua: A Continuum of Creativity, Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY LOST, Houghton House, Geneva, NY (solo) RECESS: Surviving the End of Your World, Davis Gallery, Geneva, NY VACI Annual Student Show, Fowler-Kellogg Art Gallery, Chautauqua, NY Art and Architecture Student Show, Davis Gallery, Geneva, NY
2010
VACI Annual Student Show, Logan Gallery, Chautauqua, NY Art and Architecture Student Show, Davis Gallery, Geneva, NY
2009
RESIDENCIES Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT 2013 Full Fellowship Award Woodstock Byrdcliffe, Woodstock NY 2012 Full Fellowship from the Pollock Krasner Foundation Prairie Center of the Arts, Peoria, IL 2012 Chautauqua School of Art, Chautauqua NY Summer 2009-11
www. jennywuart.com jennychwu@gmail.com
EXPERIENCE Intern Miles and May Furniture Works, Geneva, NY Fall 2011 Photographer Office of Communications, HWS Colleges, Geneva NY Spring 2009- 2012 Echo & Pine Yearbook, HWS Colleges, Geneva NY 2009-10 Photography Lab Mentor Department of Art and Architecture, HWS Colleges 2010- 2012 Artist Assistant 2010 Phillia Yi woodcut print Ted Aub sculpture Nicholas Ruth silks screen print Teaching Assistant Three-Dimensional Design course, HWS Colleges Fall 2010 Jury Committee Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute School of Art Gallery, Utica, NY 2010 Event Coordinator Art and Architecture Student Show, HWS Colleges Spring 2010, 2012 Volunteer Translator Patricia Wright Ph.D., The Five Project, Nanjing and Anshan, China 2010,11
HONORS & AWARDS Phi Beta Kappa Society Arthur Dove Memorial Prize Oil painting “And the Snow Fell” is in the HWS Colleges art collection The Judith Lowe Hyatt ‘57 Award The Senior Architecture Prize Finalist, 32nd Annual College & High School Photography Contest Profile student on HWS Colleges’ Studio Art website Nominee, Yale Summer School of Music and Art at Norfolk Oil painting “Untitled” is in the HWS Colleges art collection ”Untitled” featured on the college’s holiday greeting card to alums
SKILLS Photoshop, InDesign, Final Cut Pro, Dreamweaver Wood Working, Studio Photography Native Mandarin Chinese Speaker, Basic Italian
2012 2012 2010 2012 2012 2012 2012 2011 2010 2010
Title page drawing by Kristopher Shaffer