The study of the human form and relationships is what inspires Hoboken-based artist Jaclyn Mednicov in her journey of self-expression.With pieces that include vast empty interiors and faceless human forms, Mednicov brings her audience into a world where things are not exactly what they seem.
“What I love about it is the ability to create something that hasn’t existed and bring it to life,” says Mednicov, 27. “I love the process and the ability to express myself in a different way.”
Now exhibiting the latest pieces from her evolving series, Mednicov is sharing her unique visions at the newly opened Cocoon Room – located at the Burning Butterfly in Union City.
“I like people to find their own meaning in my artwork,” Mednicov says. “That’s very inspirational for me.”
Working around the human form
“I started painting my second year of college,” Mednicov says. It has now been about nine years since Mednicov decided to seriously pursue her passion, which encompasses both painting and sculpture.
“I’m very drawn to sculpture,” Mednicov says. “[The paintings and sculptures] all relate to each other. I take an element out of my paintings and make it into a three-dimensional form.”
Mednicov’s artwork revolves around the interpretation of human relationships and identity. Since her focus is on the inner nature of a human being, Mednicov eliminates the actual human form from her pieces, choosing instead to represent people through animals and empty clothing frozen in motion.
“Elements in my paintings are related to humans,” says Mednicov. “Every painting has about four different paintings underneath it. It develops.”
In the last five years, Mednicov has been focusing on interior space and incorporating her animal or clothing representations.
“I want to show expression through our clothing,” says Mednicov. “The exterior is what a lot of people are defined by, and I want to stimulate the viewer and myself about what’s going on inside.”
One of the main reasons Mednicov does not depict the human form is because she feels it takes away from the idea of relationships and identity. Her empty clothes give you the representation of a person, but because there is no face to the form, the focus is on the action.
Seeing the world
Mednicov’s art has also evolved as experiences in new places open her eyes to a different world of ideas and subjects.
After finishing high school in Chicago, Mednicov enrolled in the University of Kansas. In her junior year, she took a semester to study at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where she was inspired by the rich backdrop of the Aussie outback.
“The landscape was very desolate and kind of eerie, but very inspiring,” says Mednicov.
Mednicov spent the entire semester in intense drawing and painting workshops, and really began to experiment in her work.
“It was about taking myself out of my environment and really searching what my artwork was about,” she says.
Two paintings that she created in Australia, which portray bamboo and female figures, are on display at the Cocoon Room along with her more recent work.
Throughout college she had the opportunity to display and sell a lot of her artwork, but by graduation, Mednicov felt she had accomplished all she could in Kansas. So when a friend suggested that she move to Los Angeles, Mednicov packed her bags and headed for the West Coast.
“I worked in a studio in Santa Monica with other artists,” says Mednicov, who also began teaching art and experimenting more with interior spaces in her paintings.
Two and a half years ago, she decided it was time for a change and moved once again – this time to New Jersey.
Living with it
Mednicov now resides in Hoboken, dividing her time between two jobs and painting. She has exhibited in small spaces in Hoboken and New York City.
“I want to get more installation work – possibly a gallery where I can play with the space,” Mednicov says.
Mednicov has had some success with her artwork, which ranges in price from $80 to $5,000. She does a lot of commissioned work, and selling her pieces further inspires her to create.
“It’s not about the money,” Mednicov says. “I love that people want to live with it [a painting]. I just want to share it. It helps me develop my art, and it’s very motivating.”
Mednicov’s art remains on display and available for purchase at the Cocoon Room through mid-August. She will also be exhibiting new pieces in New York City at Union Square sometime near the end of August or early September.
On view
Work by Hoboken artist Jaclyn Mednicov
Where: The Cocoon Room at the Burning Butterfly, 1616 Manhattan Ave., Union City
When: Through mid-August
For more info: Call (201) 422-9496 or see www.jaclynm.com.
Emerging at the Cocoon Room Hoboken artist Jaclyn Mednicov exhibits in Union City
