Jenny McLure

Jenny McLure of Columbia, South Carolina is a senior studying Fine Arts Studio at Georgia College & State University. She is a multidisciplinary artist that works in drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and painting. While she creates work in each of these forms, she mainly works in sculptural form using a variety of media. With the goal of becoming a high school art educator, Jenny has taken action by leading several groups in painting activities and working as a Practicum student for several of her professors. She plans to continue her education to Graduate School studying Secondary Education.

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Artist Statement

In Our Family Portrait, We Look Pretty Happy

This work focuses on the dichotomy between the appearance and actuality of one’s home life. In my work I paint directly onto readymade materials to recreate the environment of my childhood. These materials relate to the environment of the scene through various patterns, colors, and textures. The image of a camera in my work serves as an abstract representation of my abuser. They relate to the security cameras that were present in my childhood home and the resulting feeling of constantly being watched. The imagery and color pallet allude to unwanted presences and events in my life and illustrate the sharp contrast between the appearance and reality of my home life. From the colors to the materials used, every aspect of the work has an important meaning and purpose. Each individual piece has a sharp contrast to the next, as each evokes a different moment of my childhood. The works are paired with a series of rooms that focus on a sensory experience. These rooms allude to the comforting and charming outward appearance of my childhood, while physically showing the viewer how ill-informed that conception is. Viewers are encouraged to touch and interact with rooms within the house in order to further immerse themselves in the work.

While suffering emotional, verbal, and mental abuse through twelve of my formative years, problems began arising with my mental health. My work represents my traumatic childhood and the process of recovery that came from recreating it. This process was cathartic in countless ways. Relaying my childhood from my adult perspective results in a release of anger that I’ve been holding for years. Catharsis does not come through in the work so much as the anger that is being released. By painting different aspects of my childhood, I am able to work through my own anger and come to terms with my past. This direction for my Capstone work is the long-time coming result of my personal recovery process. In order to facilitate my recovery in a healthy way, I turn to art as a means to get my emotions out onto the table and further examine them.

Project Description

This work focuses on the dichotomy between the appearance and actuality of one’s home life. The imagery and color pallet allude to unwanted presences and events in my life and illustrate the sharp contrast between the appearance and reality of my home life and every aspect of the work has an important meaning and purpose. My work represents my traumatic childhood and the process of recovery that came from recreating it.