Beasts of Burden
Jessica C. White
26 August 2016 - 21 September 2016
OPENING RECEPTION Friday 26 August 2016, 5 - 8 pm
Jessica C. White
Artist Statement
I create humorous but sincere, images that convey messages not through complex imagery, but in multiple layers of simplicity. I use imagery of animals and children telling stories in an attempt to make sense of uncertainties in our world today, similar to the way traditional folktales and ancient mythologies tried to explain the unknown. I’m inspired by children’s book illustrations, folk tales, walks through the forest, and the daily news. Much of my exploration revolves around fear and courage, blind optimism, naïveté, and wonder.
My prints, books, and boxes are made in-house from start to finish in my print shop and bindery nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina. I print on antique letterpress presses using a combination of printing materials including metal and wood type, woodcuts, engravings, and photopolymer plates.
Bio
Jessica C. White grew up in Taiwan where she learned to love storybooks and traditional crafts and is now a studio artist in Asheville, NC, where she makes prints, books, and illustrations. Her work has been exhibited internationally and can be seen in private and public collections including Yale University, Stanford University, Lingnan University Hong Kong, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her publications include Letterpress Now: A DIY Guide to New & Old Printing Methods, published by Lark Crafts, and Ladies of Letterpress: A Gallery of Prints with 80 Removable Posters, published by Princeton Architectural Press. She is the co-founder of Ladies of Letterpress, an international trade organization of women printers, and is a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. Fancy degrees she holds include a BFA in sculpture from East Carolina University, an MFA and MA in Printmaking from the University of Iowa, a Graduate Certificate in Book Studies from the UIowa Center for the Book, half of a pilot’s license and half of a sailing certificate. Feel free to contact her about prints or books, but no requests please for flying or sailing the high seas.