Jemma Ennis
Taking visual cues from the Colour Field painters and the Constructivism
movement with a splash of Pop-Art thrown in for good measure. Many
artists who I admire have influenced my work over the years. Here are a
few; Hilma af Klint, Yayoi Kusama, David Hockney, Richard Hamilton, Richard
Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park Series, Wassily Kandinsky and El Lissitzky, along with
NZ artists Jeena Shin and Sara Hughes.
My current series of works explore the concept of fragmentation —
manipulating images until they are almost unrecognizable. When you zoom
into a digital image, it becomes abstract and pixelated, then zoom out,
and the image reveals itself. My work captures that image at the midway
point when the image is no longer unified. Breaking down the familiar into a
mosaic of geometric shapes, held together by commonalities of color and
form.
The process of making is just as important to me as the finished product.
I am constantly contemplate my next move and how to get there with
the materials and the application. My day job as a Graphic Designer
unconsciously permeates my art practice with straight edges, geometric
shapes, luscious colour palettes and simple compositions.
In 2017 I set up Studio 6, an artist’s space in the Sunday School Union building
on Queen Street. I am one of six practising artists currently working there
today.
My work has been purchased by collectors from New Zealand and overseas,
and my painting ‘Looming Norman’ was purchased by the Wallace Arts Trust.