Clarksville, Ark. --- Amy Jones, a senior art major from Wynne, Ark, will present "Faceless Emotion," as her Senior Art Exhibition from May 5 to May 12 in the Stephens Gallery of the Walton Fine Arts Center.
There will be a reception to meet the artist from 6 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, in the gallery.
Jones’ artwork includes a variety of sizes and media, including pastels, acrylic paint, watercolors, India ink, charcoal, conte crayons, clay and wire. She said her work conveys “emotions such as rage, love and grief, without the use of facial expressions.”
Works by senior art major Amy Jones will be on display during her "Faceless Emotion" exhibit, May 5 through May 12.
“Emotion is such an integral part of human life, and I do not want to identify it with any specific person,” she said. “By eliminating the use of an individualized form or face, I can make a connection with everyone in my audience. I do not depict any of my figures in any sense of real space. The paintings have ambiguous backgrounds and the sculptures are free-standing. Emotions are not tangible and do not exist in a realm that occupies physical space. This removes any attachment of the emotion to a particular place or setting, making the emotion easier for the audience to relate to. Many of my works depict only one figure, but a few works incorporate a second figure because emotions can be shared between two or more people. Using only one or two figures allows the audience to connect to my pieces on a more intimate level.”
Jones said her pieces are abstracted “because I am conveying emotions without the use of facial expressions. I play off of the silhouette in several of my works. I also abstract the color in some of the works by using nontraditional colors for the skin tones. This eliminates any ability to relate the emotion to a specific race.”
One of Jones’ pieces, titled Freedom, honors her father, who served in the United States armed forces and was wounded in the Iraq war.
“In Freedom, I depict the silhouette of a man waving a flag to convey the feeling of freedom,” she said. “When a country celebrates its independence, the media shows footage of that country’s flag being waved. In contrast to the anonymity of most of my pieces, I did use the colors of the American flag in the background. This artwork has a personal connection for me. This piece is dedicated to my father.”
Surrealist artist Salvador Dali has been one of Jones’ major influences.
“He often abstracted the scale of realistic imagery to cause confusion and add mystery to his work,” she said. “I want to emulate the mystery. Many of Dali’s works convey his feelings on certain subjects. For instance, in Temptation, Dali uses scale to show the inner struggle a man faces when he is tempted to sin.”
The Stephens Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and there is no cost for admission. For more information on the exhibit, please call the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at 479-979-1349.
Topics: Art