Mapping the Void, 4" x 3", Mixed Media on Poplar, 2017,  $300 — *Mapping the Void*, 4" x 3", Mixed Media on Poplar, 2017, $300

The Act of Creating and Coping with Grief

The act of mapping connects the past with the future. It charts a journey into the unknown, providing a safe, or at least safer, passage for those that follow in our path, alleviating fear and superstition as we move into the larger world together. This was true for explorers traversing the globe hundreds of years ago in wooden ships, literally mapping the geography, and it is just as true for artists using the concept metaphorically today. The face of the earth has been prodigiously documented, but individual emotional experience is nearly always unchartered territory.

Jennifer Palmer’s new exhibit, Mapping Loss, features mixed media artworks that, in the words of the artist, “…create maps of thought that are about finding Zen in the chaos of loss; the search for balance amidst the process of grieving. The works feature a variety of materials that explore the meditative process of repetitive mark making juxtaposed against colorful, unrestrained shapes.”

Between the Clouds, Mixed Media on Paper, 9" x 12", 2017, $400 — *Between the Clouds*, Mixed Media on Paper, 9" x 12", 2017, $400

“Through the process of finding the light in the darkness, the act of creating is helping to bring calm to the chaos of the grieving process and coping with the death of my mother.”

“I want to keep exploring the world and the objects it holds, and create personal maps out of memories. I am searching to find a balance and peace to what has happened and also trying to create something beautiful out of my experiences.”

Mapping Loss, is on display at Barr Gallery, Indiana University Southeast through September 22nd. In October Palmer will be the Collider Artist in Residence at the South Central Regional location of the Louisville Free Public Library.

At present Palmer is an Adjunct Professor at Bellarmine University, Louisville, teaching Drawing, 2D Design, and Art Concepts.

Name: Jennifer Palmer
Hometown: Simpsonville, Kentucky
Age: 36
Education: MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design; BA in Art and Political Science, Cedar Crest College (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Website: http://jenniferpalmer.tumblr.com
Instagram: jenniferlaurapalmer

Mapping II, Mixed Media on Paper, 9" x 12", 2017, $400 — Mapping II, Mixed Media on Paper, 9" x 12", 2017, $400

Mapping Above,  Mixed Media on Paper, 9" x 12", 2017, $400 — Mapping Above, Mixed Media on Paper, 9" x 12", 2017, $400

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more — *Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more*

Mixed Media

Vignette: Jennifer Palmer

Josh Jenkins · May 9, 2017

“Life changes have caused me to realize the importance of place.“ — Jennifer Palmer

"A Story Beyond Me" by Jennifer Palmer, 59x42in, mixed media on paper (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW — *"A Story Beyond Me" by Jennifer Palmer, 59x42in, mixed media on paper (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW*

An artist is never one thing. When last we heard from Jennifer Palmer, we were discussing her sojourn through the countryside in her prized 1951 Chevy Pickup, “Barbara Jane”, drawing and photographing along the way, a story that emphasizes the journey over the destination.

Palmer still travels in Barbara Jane in summer, but today we focus on new abstract work that carries the theme of the movement of history while still telling another entirely personal story:

“The pieces are multimedia drawings with a focus on history and creating maps out of memories. The drawings are created using layers of media and incorporating maps. Exploring is about life. It starts as soon as we enter the world we start creating maps of our surroundings. And we keep building from there. This is why maps intrigue me. I loved that the maps I used were from family trips and I could see my Dad’s handwritten notes and the highlighted route for each adventure. These memories have become even more precious since my Mother’s passing from cancer. These life changes have caused me to realize the importance of place.“

"Detail of A Story Beyond Me" by Jennifer Palmer, 59x42in, mixed media on paper (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW — *"Detail of A Story Beyond Me" by Jennifer Palmer, 59x42in, mixed media on paper (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW*

So much art is about identity, and Palmer’s quest for greater understanding of physical location is just one route to realizing self through a sense of place. In this way, the maps she incorporates into her imagery represent past, present and future. “I am searching to find a balance and peace to what has happened,” explains Palmer, “and also trying to create something beautiful out of my experiences.”

At present Palmer is an Adjunct Professor at Bellarmine University, Louisville, teaching Drawing, 2D Design, and Art Concepts.

Hometown: Simpsonville, Kentucky
Age: 36
Education: MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design; BA in Art and Political Science, Cedar Crest College (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Website: http://jenniferpalmer.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferlaurapalmer/

"Detail #2 of A Story Beyond Me" by Jennifer Palmer, 59x42in, mixed media on paper (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW — *"Detail #2 of A Story Beyond Me" by Jennifer Palmer, 59x42in, mixed media on paper (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW*

*"Mapping I" by Jennifer Palmer, 11x15in, mixed media on paper (2017)*

*"Mapping II" by Jennifer Palmer, 11x15in, mixed media on paper (2017)*