Photography by Millie Mitchell
Jennifer Brady, seams (detail), 2021, embroidery, monoprint and acrylic on quilted, found mattress protectors, 148 x 196 cm. NFS. Image courtesy of the artist.
still learning
5 - 22 may 2021, white rhino artspace
In moments of stress, anxiety and over-thought, communication struggles as we hastily attempt to push our thoughts and internal monologues through the restrictions of language. Our sentences stumble, repeat, destruct, and confuse through the process of articulating messy or clouded thoughts. After these seasons of ‘low’ Mental Health, we can approach the bottleneck of articulation - language - with clarity and curiosity. It is in periods like this where still learning finds itself.
still learning is an installation of new work, stemming from my ongoing practice in text-based art and expanded drawing methods as a means of exploring mental health experiences. This exhibition playfully approaches the written English language from a point of calm and slowness. Vague thoughts are printed, stitched, and scribbled into curious statements, toying with syntax and semantics as a means of breaking down ‘busy’ moments of thought.
This transitional exhibition signifies a shift from aggressive thoughts into explorative monologues and retrospective thinking. Processes such as stitching and printmaking are coupled with child-like writing patterns to evoke a sense of nostalgia and reflection, as I retrospectively navigate through feelings of anxiety and my sense of self. These slow and methodical processes drive the exhibition, mimicking the act of learning how to translate mental health concerns and anxious moments of thought through language.
still learning seeks to create a liminal space for patient thoughts and thinking. The works are incomplete. They do not propose a resolution or answers to past concerns, but acknowledge an ongoing mental health experience that is continually growing in circles.
Jennifer Brady, still learning, 2021, installed at White Rhino Artspace, St Leonards. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Brady, Untitled (still learning), 2020, acrylic and graphite on Hahnemuhle, 16.5 x 14.5 cm, NA. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Brady, Nice nice, 2020, monoprint on Hahnemuhle, 27 x 19.5 cm, NA. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Brady, temper mental, 2020, graphite on Hahnemuhle, 23 x 16 cm, $110. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Brady, seams, 2021, embroidery, monoprint and acrylic on quilted, found mattress protectors, 148 x 196 cm. NFS. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Brady, word play (detail), 2021 (ongoing), 52 mixed media drawing; acrylic, monoprint and graphite on A3 photocopy paper, 42 x 29.7 cm, POA. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Brady, retrospective thinking, 2021, pigment marker on glass, timber, 175 x 90 cm, POA. Image courtesy of the artist.