KIRSTEINFINEART

Meditation and the creative act of making art for me is a way of life, a way of seeing, and a way of reaching and maintaining wakefulness and awareness.

Artist Jan Kirstein

Mixed Media collage by Jan Kirstein. 14″ x 11.” 2019.

Perceptions

I am an American contemporary artist and writer working primarily with mixed media. My paintings and collage work juxtapose diverse imagery to explore ideas of emerging fragmentation and reconstruction through fluctuating recognition and realization. These perceptions then can transform into a meaningful and unified whole.

It is my intention that the viewer look at one of my paintings as if one is sifting through an archeological dig of the subconscious mind, moving as though through layer upon layer of earth. Barely recognizable forms emerge from the surface of the paintings into a conscious gestalt where meanings are meant to galvanize through the viewer’s own personal references and connections.

Mixed Media Collage on paper, 11″ x 14.” By Jan Kirstein. 2019.

Movement through brushwork, markings and layered, open passages lead the viewer on a journey of discovery, enabling the creation of a myriad of associations and insights. Through observing the relationships of applied materials to a surface, layers of seemingly random associations can merge into realization, recognition and insight.

My materials often include Sumi e Ink, Calligraphy brushes, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, acrylic and a variety of papers including Japanese rice paper and canvas.

“Wham-O,” 48″ x 56,” Mixed Media Collage on stretched canvas by Janis Kirstein, 2019.

Detail of “Wham-O,” 48″ x 56,” Mixed Media Collage on stretched canvas by Janis Kirstein, 2019.

My Most Recent Painting

The Fall of Western Civilization,” by Janis Kirstein. Mixed Media on stretched canvas. 4″ x 8.” 2019.

Investigate the Details at https://janiskirstein.com

I have been greatly influenced by artists from the past. Matisse has influenced and inspired my love of brilliant color and its interactions. I have also been greatly inspired by the expressive paintings of the abstract expressionists such as Helen Frankenthaler for her bold and sensitive use of organic poured paint shapes, by Franz Kline for his stark use of diagonal bold lines and stark contrast and by Robert Rauschenberg for his unique juxtaposition of cultural icons into a variety of assembled collages.