Jessica Eastburn

Artist Statement:

The rapidly evolving digital technology that  defines contemporary life provides the locus point which my work both responds to and expands upon, conceptually and technically.  The advent of this technology has inundated people with information, most of it unimportant, trivial, or outright useless.  Yet, people constantly crave more data and feel that they are falling behind if they are not constantly plugged in.  My drawings mimic this contemporary digital overload by employing a calculated, mechanical visual language that is based on grid systems. The process of creating the drawings is the antithesis of “drag and drop” digital technology, since the drawings are created wholly by hand using antiquated technology such as the ruler and compass. 

The drawings illustrate liminal, arbitrary, and incongruous information which takes the form of swatches and snippets of patterns and motifs that overlap and compete against one another.  This arrangement echoes the cacophonous deluge of visual noise that the information stream of internet news, social media, and the personal blog have created.

Jessica Eastburn was born in Eugene, OR, and later moved to Portland, OR where she received her BA from Portland State University.  She then attended San Jose State University for her MFA in Painting.  She currently lives and works in Oakland, CA.  Jessica’s art practice takes the form of gouache paintings on paper, and occasionally includes woodworking and stop-motion animation as well.