Artist Statement: My work deals with the transient nature of life and humanity’s conflicting desire to preserve places and moments in time. I depict deterioration in my prints and collages through the use of vintage materials and by damaging the surfaces. Life is fleeting, a passing moment in time. I constantly circle back to art and ephemera that illustrate nature encroaching on one’s memories and possessions. Corner after corner in New York City, everyday objects, once loved and cared for, stand abandoned. Botanical illustrations and photographs have been printed and collaged onto the piano using wheat paste to bring new life to the object.Nature is truly allowed to overtake the piano by utilizing recycled paper and an organic adhesive. Throughout the two weeks of public placement, the piece will be allowed to slowly recede into it's surrounding environment. As time passes, it is my hope that new, shared memories may be formed over this piano. Once the piano receives a home, nature will be allowed to once again breech the indoors. Through this piece I hope to make visible the brevity of life and the inevitable loss of memories and objects we hold dear.
Jamie Wilen is a printmaker and installation artist residing in Brooklyn, NY. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and Art History at Adelphi University. Wilen has been exhibited in various shows including the Sketchbook Project, Swarm43: Featuring Jamie Wilen and Sarah Heinemann, and various salon shows at Greenpoint Gallery. Along with these exhibitions, her work has been featured in David Hornung’s “Colour: A Workshop for Artists and Designers,” Indiewalls, and Graphic Echo. She currently works as a visual artist and merchandiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Wilen is best known for her work dealing with the transient nature of life and humanity’s conflicting desire to preserve places and moments in time.