Contemporary artist Jennifer Printz "More than Memory" series is collection of nine postcard like prints using photography, graphite, and Epson Ultrachrome inks on BFK Rives paper. The work is matted and framed in wood, protected with anti-static, non-glare Plexiglass glazing. The idea for this body of work comes from Jennifer's fascination with the public nature of mourning during the Victorian period. Back then, people used dress, jewelry, and black edged stationery to express their bereavement and mark the time since their loss. This historical influence inspired Jennifer to undertake a contemplative project, reflecting on the shared loss and grief felt by all of us during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her project, Jennifer utilized the format of vintage postcards, replacing the image area where photographs of cities or visited sites would typically appear with passages of dense graphite. Instead of relying solely on the color black to convey mourning, she sought to evoke the emptiness and shroud of grief, symbolizing the loss of travel, shared experiences, and time spent in new or familiar places throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2020.
Working through a slow and deliberate process, each piece became a personal meditation on the profound grief Jennifer, and indeed all of us, have endured during this challenging time. The project serves as a poignant reminder of the collective human experience and the need to find solace and healing in the face of unprecedented loss. Each piece measures 5.5" H x 8.5" W (Paper Size) and 13.5" H x 16.5" W (Framed Size). When displayed as shown in the first image, the dimensions are 47.5" H x 56.5" W. The framed prints will be shipped directly from the artist's studio.
About the artist:
Jennifer graduated with a BFA from East Tennessee State University and then completed her Masters of Fine Art in 2001 from The University of Georgia where she studied in Cortona, Italy, as a part of her degree. Printz was the recipient of multiple university merit awards and research grants during this period. Since graduation, her creations have been exhibited widely across the US and abroad including recent exhibitions at the Spartanburg Museum of Art, Chroma Gallery, and International Biennale of Prints in Portugal. She has participated in regular residencies in the US, at the Frans Masereel Centre/Flemish Center for the Graphic Arts in Kasterlee, Belgium, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta, and La Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France.
Jennifer uses both photography and drawing as differing means to observe her world and she unifies them together to make poetic works that reflect the unseen structures of the universe. She has continued to be a highly awarded artist. In 2004 she was awarded a Puffin Foundation Grant, followed by a Dendo Fellowship in 2016, amongst many others throughout her career. Printz is also an educator who has honed her skills in a variety of classroom situations from museums to large public research universities since 2002. She has taught a wide range of two-dimensional media at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as, public art and professional practices. Jennifer Printz is currently the MFA Program Director and an Associate Professor at Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida.
Printz' work has been included in publications as diverse as Tricycle and the Carolina Review. In 2019, her studio practice was included for in-depth articles in Peripheral ARTeries and In Her Studio. Her scholarly output includes papers given at the SGC International, College Art Association in 2009, and Southeastern College Art conferences in 2018, 2013 and 2011. In 2010, the Norton Simon Museum included her essay “Print University” in Proof: The Rise of Printmaking in Southern California. She is also an active arts leader, previously serving as President of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society from 2007-2009, the Vice President of External Affairs for SGC International in 2010-2012 and most recently on the Board of Directors for SECAC 2017-2019. In 2014 she was awarded an NCAA Emerging Arts Administrators Fellowship.
Her work is included in a large number of institutional and private collections in the US including the Ben Shahn Center Galleries at William Paterson University and Esther Allen Greer Museum of Fine Art, Rio Grande, OH and also in the permanent collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Art, Antwerp, Belgium.
The Jennifer Printz collection of artwork is part of ongoing collaboration with gallerist Ellen Hackl Fagan to showcase emerging artists.
