Artist Statement
In an earlier Artist Statement, I wrote, "The works I create are responses to my efforts of paying attention to aspects of my experience that suggest that the aesthetic can be entangled with the everyday." That perspective on making continues to feel authentic, but for most of the works in this exhibition, the "everyday" activity that I consider is that of reading, and most often that means reading fiction in the form of novels.
In the paintings and collages presented here, I am exploring two possible artistic responses to reading. Some of these works are inspired by concepts and ideas that are discussed in texts, and some of these works take a more direct approach and include passages, the actual words of the writers. These passages are re-contextualized into a new form, and viewers are invited to consider the meaning of these passages when they are presented as visual art rather than as components of storytelling.
The sculptures continue my practice of collage work, but in a new direction - or rather in a new dimension. Unlike the two-dimensional works in this exhibition, these pieces were created with a playful spirit rather than a reflective one. As a maker of objects (two- or three-dimensional), I am curious about the way that objects can have meaning. Why am I compelled to keep a broken coffee mug or hold onto a letter from a friend? Why pick up and keep feathers, rocks, and sticks? Is the attraction purely based on nostalgia or visual aesthetics, or are these objects suggestive of some larger or more potent significance?
The works in this show were created mostly in the past few months. They represent a path of inquiry, a project, or an exploration of an idea. They are not, and are not intended to be, a clarified statement about who I am as an artist. More, they are the artifacts that are created as I continue to consider how to live in the world.
In the paintings and collages presented here, I am exploring two possible artistic responses to reading. Some of these works are inspired by concepts and ideas that are discussed in texts, and some of these works take a more direct approach and include passages, the actual words of the writers. These passages are re-contextualized into a new form, and viewers are invited to consider the meaning of these passages when they are presented as visual art rather than as components of storytelling.
The sculptures continue my practice of collage work, but in a new direction - or rather in a new dimension. Unlike the two-dimensional works in this exhibition, these pieces were created with a playful spirit rather than a reflective one. As a maker of objects (two- or three-dimensional), I am curious about the way that objects can have meaning. Why am I compelled to keep a broken coffee mug or hold onto a letter from a friend? Why pick up and keep feathers, rocks, and sticks? Is the attraction purely based on nostalgia or visual aesthetics, or are these objects suggestive of some larger or more potent significance?
The works in this show were created mostly in the past few months. They represent a path of inquiry, a project, or an exploration of an idea. They are not, and are not intended to be, a clarified statement about who I am as an artist. More, they are the artifacts that are created as I continue to consider how to live in the world.
Artist Bio
Stephanie Jaap Baugh is an interdisciplinary artist living in Monmouth, Illinois. She was born and grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and also lived in Florida and Georgia before moving to Monmouth fifteen years ago. She teaches Graphic Design and other foundational studio art courses at Monmouth College, where she also serves as Co-Coordinator for the First-Year Experience course, Gallery Director, and Co-Chair of the Art Department. Visit Stephanie's website to see more examples of her artwork or to view her CV or exhibition record.