Rocks are a medium and means to explore earth and time. Jessica Slipp is interested in what rocks contain and how, when deconstructed, they return to particles of matter – the elemental component to the fabric of the universe and where all of life began. Narratives of the land and the histories layered within are of further fascination to the artist. The parallels of geographical and cultural histories provide a strong platform for Slipp’s artistic research as she is continuously searching for imaginative ways to represent structure and form in nature.
Yet how we perceive nature is a cultural process. Looking through the lens of landscape — a gaze that is far too romantic or destructively extractive — perpetuates a separation between humanity and the earth. Slipp’s work looks to unpack this very notion by asking the question: how might we reframe our relationship with nature? Through the use of photography, digital print media, and sculpture, the artist seeks to blur boundaries between landscape and the way in which it is perceived by playing with the constructs of its original form.
Jessica Slipp is an artist and educator based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang (Montréal). She holds a BFA in Photography (2012) and MFA in Print Media (2019) from Concordia University. She has presented work across Canada and has participated in residencies both nationally and internationally. Jessica has also received numerous awards including a recent grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. Recently, she took part in a residency and public workshop at RURART (Qc), and a Research-Creation residency at Centre SAGAMIE (Qc).
