Artist Jessica Berkowitz
Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting?
I am currently continuing work on my series “Tiny Situations” but am also eager to begin another series in miniature. In this series I plan to explore the idea of the room as a character as well as the idea of perspective. I was recently thinking a lot about the rooms themselves that I create for “Tiny Situations” and how space can have its own impact. When in times of high stress or contemplation I become increasingly aware of my environment. We have all had that moment of sitting in a waiting room in anticipation of a test result or sitting in expectation of punishment to be delivered. We have found ourselves in places where we are expected to divulge secrets, do we?
I plan to photograph these scenes using a pinhole camera so the extreme wide angle allows the room to take on an overwhelming appearance while contributing to the play on “perspective” both in space as well as perception. The pinhole also helps to hide the fact that the scenes are miniature in build and can be more convincing as a real environment while allowing me to take full control of the aesthetics.
What does your "day job" mean to you?
I have a day job working as an Ophthalmic Technician. My art is about human experience and social interactions. Just being engaged in life outside of the studio continues to inform my work.
What are you presently inspired by?
I listen to a lot of pod-casts while in the studio. Many keep me informed of current events but many simply let me enjoy the art of storytelling, which is so central to my work. Some pod-casts lead to more insight about my work. Shortly after completing “Pecking Order”, a piece from the series “Tiny Situations” depicting chickens in a cubicle, I listened to a TED Talk entitled, “The Meaning of Work”. In this talk Margaret Heffernan recapped a study of chickens and their productivity within their coop. It was interesting to listen to a summary of an experiment that so closely touched on similar issues I was exploring.
Most of the inspiration for Tiny Situations comes from observing human interactions around me. Each work is not created from just one single observation but rather is a commentary on a pattern I’ve noticed in the way we treat one another socially then also seeing it mimicked in the animal world.
What do you think is the function of art in society? Do art or artists have a responsibility to do anything in particular?
I think the greatest strength art has is its ability to raise awareness. I believe our prime responsibility as artists is not to provide answers but rather to ask questions.
Tiny Situations explores the ways in which we are socially not so different from other animals. It asks how much of our behavior is instinct based and how much of this should be acceptable to us. Can we overcome our animal instincts to treat one another in a more humane manner and when should we?
Artist Jessica Berkowitz is featured in the current exhibition, Creatures-real and imagined.