Siiri Jüris, Matter that (Em)bodies (XIII), 2021

The first impulse leading to this series of works was to find novel ways to depict a (human)body and physical contact while deviating from the inherent compulsions and rules of figurative painting.

The aim became defecting the focus from the outward form of the corporeal to the matter that literally and metaphorically composes it, i.e. to refer from idealizing the human form but showing it as being in unison with the whole perceivable world. My goal was to mimic concurrently the organic material and the body in textures, patterns, and surfaces (as one could see bodily material, and cells or debris, stone, topological map, landscape).

I based my thought process on thinking through and with many authors, which formed a ruleset with four layers. At the core, it is the matter – the painting and the bodily material. Grounding on the material layer is the painting method, which is based on the thoughts of Erin Manning and Spinoza. They claim nature to be an abstract potential and body to be an assemblage of kinetic particles and forces; of motion and energy. I took these claims literally by translating them into action; into painting techniques to channel the exploration of the body to canvas. The next layer is the (idealistic) need to emphasize more widely understandable human feelings, which, I feel, are affection and empathy. They are embodied through visible touch. The last layer is the surface and the colour, vibrancy, which has almost tactile character, and potential to be felt, and enjoyed.

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Siiri Jüris Swedish-Estonian, b. 1992

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