More to the Story
Marn Jensen
December 6 - February 29, 2020
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I love working with old things— found objects, rusty bits, discarded photos — and breathing new life into them. I not only see the beauty in each object, but I love extending the story by threading them into my work. As I play with photos, I love thinking about the history behind the faces — all that was said, and more interestingly, unsaid.
My process is about as “un-processy” as it gets. My studio is packed with photos and pieces and parts that I’ve procured from various places throughout the years. You can open a drawer (there are many) and find just about anything.
As I begin a new assemblage piece, I usually have a few others going at the same time. I’m drawn to each at random intervals, often removing something from one piece to try out on another. I start with a basic direction and the pieces begin to tell and retell the story. I’ll futz (official term) with something for a long time until I think it’s told the whole story— then, I usually challenge myself to remove at least one thing. Though most take an unapologetically long time, there are those rare occasions that one falls into place quickly.
The series of photos with “peeking through faces” happened serendipitously. I’d cut out a face from a photo and it happened to be laying on top of another, larger photo— exposing a new face. Not only did it make me laugh out loud — it made me think about what else is going on under the surface— are people really whom we think they are? I sort of loved the chuckle factor + the creepy factor and envisioning these pieces hanging on a typical
family room wall.
I also love the backsides of things. Flipping things over or turning them inside out exposes an equally beautiful side. You’ll notice some of the old frames in the “Family Wall” series are turned around to the backside. It’s purposefully meant to make you scratch your head while wondering what else could be lurking behind those portraits. Plus, I just prefer how it looks.
Similarly, “Untold Stories” features old photos that are turned over — making you wonder whose face might be hidden beneath or maybe even forgotten.
The encaustic work adds new twist and texture to my show. It’s an unforgiving medium that forces you to move with the melted wax and be flexible with the outcome. I love that the process is all about layering — both exposing and hiding parts of the narrative.
Maybe it’s the writer in me that wants each piece to tell a story. I hope my work sparks a chuckle or a curiosity that makes you want to tell your own — because there is always more
to every story.