Jane Powers

I am a mixed media sculptor using my art practice to investigate complexities within cultural, political and ethical issues.  In gallery and public spaces, my intention is to bring forward dialogue and questions about our choices as individuals and communities.

Three main theads continue through my work.  One examines issues concerning women and the culturing of our bodies.  As the body is the site through which experiences are digested and memories held, it critically informs our identity and emotional states. What are the cultural norms that define our depiction and stories, and how are our bodies to be engaged with?

The ongoing stories of violance—whether between individuals or countries—have drawn me to reflect on issues surrounding our human propensity for violence.  How are economic, cultural and psychological pressures, and our gun/military culture sustaining this?  War, whether gang or international, seems to provide a “legitimate” arena for expressing violence where individuals become mearly collateral damage.

The biomedical field holds a fascination for me.  I am intent on creating visions that consider future biomedical developments in genetic engineering, tissue culturing and xenotransplantation.  What technologies do we want to invest in and how will we choose to use them for healing and redesigning/reinventing our human biology? Additionally, will raising human stem cell injected animals for replacement body tissue and organs present ethical issues that differ from farming animals for food and hides?

As these questions arising in my mind slowly transform into images, I am drawn into making and juxtaposing objects to form layered and open-ended poetic narratives.