Helena Wurzel -- Personal Statement

I use painting as a way to reinvent the world as I experience it. The people, places, and objects that I observe in my daily life are my largest source material. In this body of work I have focused on the ways in which figures occupy domestic space. The main characters in these paintings are my friends and myself. Whether the painting is a single portrait or a multi-figural composition, the figures tend to not face the viewer, but rather to each be in a contemplative state. In the more complex scenes, the different characters are in one another’s presence, yet each is somewhat absorbed in her own quiet moment of daily living. The figures’ actions reveal the narrative. They are often caught in common private acts such as getting dressed, undressed, and looking in the mirror. I depict objects from around my home, such as my sewing machine, dress forum, and magazines to emphasize my love of fashion. I also use my own well-worn cowboy boots, sneakers, and trendy clothing to help contextualize my work in contemporary society. Other objects, such as my cell phone, ipod, and computer, enter the work to add another layer to the narrative and to reference current cultural icons. My love of pattern and color is incorporated through clothing, wallpaper, and carpets. Often I use windows or doorways as a way of creating a specific light or referencing a time of day. Windows and doors simultaneously also function as a way of separating the outside world from my interior vision, while acknowledging the reality of both realms.

In addition to painting, I have also made a collection of paper cut outs. They incorporate the same elements that have always interested me- the figure and patterning. The narrative in the cut outs embody the same foundation as the paintings- events from daily life and common human experiences. Although their primary idea is linked, the cut outs embody a more fairy tale like quality.

The core of my work is rooted in the concept of self-portraiture. Simply stated, I think that I portray what it is like to be a specific gender and a specific age in contemporary culture. It is inherently tied to the feminine realm.

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