face-series

About Face | Jan Serr

The exhibition featured work by UWM Peck School of the Arts alumnae Jan Serr as she explored figurative painting. The Inova exhibition surveyed Serr’s earlier work, and included a large group of new figurative paintings, created specifically for this exhibition.

 

spring-series

Spring Flowers

This series of monotypes celebrates floral still lifes with a brilliant palette of color.

 

india-series

India Ink

For the past three years, Serr worked on Dancers, a series of black and white, figurative drawings. In the spring of 2008, in a new studio, she began INDIA INK, an exploration of color.

“Periodically I need to add curry to my palette – the color, smell and taste. That’s what INDIA INK is about.”

While the new work is striking for its emerald greens, lapis blues and rubious reds, it exhibits Serr’s characteristics drawing style and composition.

This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Ruth Grotenrath and Schomer Lichtner.

 

dance-series

Dance

The Dances Series evolved from observing the human body in motion, and discovering a way to translate movement onto a piece of paper.

Inspired by automatic drawing (Henri Michaux & Zao Wou Ki) and Japanese Sumi ink drawings, I developed a monotype technique that captured some of the feeling of movement by layering transparent veils of lighter and darker lines and tones.

Using transparent and opaque inks with a wide variety of tools, I tried to keep the gesture of my hands as quick, spontaneous and deliberate as the dance. (Jan Serr)

 

 

leaves-series1

Leaves and Branches

Leaves and Branches has a point of view of looking up at leaves and branches against the streaming sky. I am using a gestural line, as active as a branch in the wind, and vibrant, transparent colors, as if the sun poured through them. The paintings can be hung horizontally or vertically or on a ceiling. They are bright, light, free and floating. (Jan Serr)

 

downstream-series2

Downstream

Downstream is the moment between the first to leave and the last to arrive. It is the carrousel eddy in the endless river, the grasping rapids, the sun’s giggle.

The Villa Terrace show is dedicated to Lorrie Otto, mentor, friend, environmentalist. (Jan Serr)

Summer Dances

The Summer Dances series was inspired by live performances, but rather than being portraits of individuals or connected to specific dance works, the images exist independently, with soloists and grouped figures suspended within broad areas of light and sparkling hues.