My interest in systems and structure within a grid format is a systematic exploration of a basic structure and its subsequent construction and deconstruction. The explorations are more than a formal exercise. The repeated manipulation of the space within the edges of the canvas means that the surface is not just a page but becomes a support or object unto itself as well.
These works represent these specific qualities, using the restricted formal means of the grid and the use of painting materials. The works ability to express a great deal with limited means testifies to the power of the language within the surface plane. These works are built on an evolving set of interrelations, rather than just a system of theme and variations. It is a meditation on more than just the formal exercise – not planned, but with each work created in response to the previous and as a series of a whole. Beyond the rigors of the geometry, the handling of paint activates the surface, differentiating each work from another and furthering the systematic artistic exploration.
Artist Statement: Born in Detroit, Michigan, Jean Wolff studied fine arts at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, receiving a BFA in studio arts. She then attended Hunter College, CUNY in New York, graduating with an MFA in painting and printmaking. She’s since had group and solo exhibits in various galleries in New York City and internationally, published works in 23 magazines, and is part of the artistic community of Westbeth in Manhattan.
