Jenna Wilcox

Feeling safe should not be a privilege. Plaster, readymade objects, and wood are utilized throughout my work to evoke abstract, utilitarian, and commentative meanings. My most recent creation revolves around the struggles of women's safety. Objects involved in this series are important to the interpretation of the pieces. Everyday products, self-defense items, and stereotypically feminine products are employed throughout my body of work and altered to convey a deeper meaning. In one of the pieces the objects are flocked in pink fibers as it is the typical color associated with women.
Color is a powerful tool that guides a viewer's experience. Utilizing the color pink provokes the viewer to think of the objects not as singular items but as a part of the whole piece. The viewer's thought process is challenged in this way. Covering the items in a substance additionally communicates the effort to stand up against the communal covering that happens as women are seen under a blanket of femininity. Working hands on with materials, manipulating the elements directly and embracing the tactility is a very important aspect of my artistic process.
The conversation surrounding the right women have had to fight for to take up space in this world has been tackled in the art scene in many different ways. Approaching the subject from as many different perspectives as possible is important as it cultivates a community that women can feel safe within. The goal for my work is to be a part of that community. Producing art additionally acts as a creative outlet for my own frustrations surrounding the lengths women must go to protect themselves. Viewers walking away with a new perspective of what it means to be a woman going through everyday life, constantly having to think about their safety is the primary objective of the art I create.