Interview
Jenifer Carey
Jenifer Carey, born in England, resides and works in Madrid, Spain, as a full-time neuro-physiotherapist. Both on and off the canvas, Jenifer is all about movement, the moment and zest for life. Full of bold, Mediterranean colours, her expressionist works convey the vibrancy of an instant reaching out to be shared by the viewer. They are accessible yet not facile, arresting yet pleasing. Being a physio helped her achieve a desire to give something to society rather than just receive, as she has a strong social conscience and was born into a privileged family.
Physiotherapy also made Jenifer realize that tomorrow is not promised to anyone – hence her appreciation of life, and the desire and urgency to live each day to the full. In her artwork, that translates into capturing the instant and conveying vibrancy. The more we learn about anything in life, the more we appreciate it. Jenifer derives inspiration from personal observation; experiences, knowledge of the history of art and imagination, drawing on music especially jazz, literature as in ‘The Piano Tuner’ by Daniel Mason, and travel, especially to Ibiza and Morocco where the light is magical.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in England into a privileged family hence my desire to contribute to society so chose to become a physiotherapist. My godfather gave me a box of oil paints at the age of 14. All pupils at Queen Anne’s School had to do a project, and I decided to do an oil painting. Out of 360 girls, I was given 1st Prize. I went on to achieve the top mark in both ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level Art, but I wasn’t a Da Vinci or a Michel Angelo, and I thought that I would never make a living being an artist. I went against the wishes of my father, who would have liked me to study Beaux Arts, and trained in physiotherapy. However, I have always carried on doing creative work in my spare time as I have a great need to express myself through my work. The four grants I received to work at the Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium, were a ‘hinge’ in my artistic development because they stimulated me to dedicate more time to my art, and gave me the chance to develop in a focused, supportive environment. Of course, the prizes that I have won have also been a catalyst.”
What inspires you?
“The subject matter of my work is inspired by my passion for beauty, and shaped by my imagination and personal experiences. Picasso once said ‘if I receive inspiration, let it find me working.’ Inspiration is a burst of creativity which I find from many sources but mainly it is from stimulating it by working. I always carry a pencil and paper wherever I go and draw anything that catches my eye. An example is while on holiday in a Mediterranean harbour I stopped to draw the fishermen mending their nets as I was fascinated with their postures and movement. Hence my series of fishermen. I encounter inspiration in studying other artists and visiting museums and galleries. An example is when I visited an exhibition in the Prado Museum in Madrid of ‘A homage to Picasso’ by David Hamilton which inspired me to make my etching with mezzotint ‘A homage to Picasso.’ An exhibition of Alex Katz influenced me To paint the ‘Spectators’ series. I find music and musicians inspiring with hands, faces, instruments and movement. My inspiration is sometimes sparked from a novel that I read as in my series ‘The piano tuner’ as the novel of the same title by Daniel Mason or even by a remark made by someone.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I have many themes but all include the human figure in movement. One of my favorite topics is musicians where I find faces, hands, instruments and movement. Another motive is the fishermen at work. Here the basic aim was to transmit the essence of struggle and harmony in daily work, the movement and strength of the fishermen and convey raw emotion as a tribute to the noble simplicity of human endeavour. The theme of spectators was to transfer the solitude that we experienced and the harm society suffered during the confinement for COVID 19. These oils were contrived during lockdown when there were no sport events, no theatre, no cinema or gatherings of friends. Another issue was the immigrants. In my oil on canvas painting ‘The emigrants’ I desired to invoke awareness of the emigrants who arrive in boats to the coasts of Europe. The vast majority of these boats cross the Mediterranean from the African coast. Some people move in search of work or economic opportunities, to reunite with their families but others leave to escape conflict, persecution, terrorism or large-scale violations or abuses of human rights. Being a physiotherapist made me realize that that tomorrow is not promised to anyone, thus my appreciation of life, and the desire and urgency to live each day to the full hence the underlying message in my work is to share my zest for life, capturing the instant and conveying vibrancy.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is figurative, cheerful and colourful. My work is very varied in that I utilize many different techniques of plastic expression including oil on canvas, artist`s prints of lithographs, xylographs, etching with mezzotint, silk screening and collagraphs and sculpture using clay, plaster and iron. I consider that my style of painting is expressionist and, on occasions, with pop art influence.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Matisse, who has been a major influence in my work, said that a great modern conquest has been the secret of expression through colour. It is precisely this secret that I use with oils, combining my intuition, quick strokes and my transgression of the limits of drawing to achieve expressivity in my paintings. Picasso has been an influence in my drawing and in encouraging me to use many different methods of plastic expression. The colour and style of the German expressionists Nolde and Kirchner have also determined my work. The characteristic pop art of Alex Katz has been an influence in some of my works.”
“The subject matter of my work is inspired by my passion for beauty, and shaped by my imagination and personal experiences.”
What is your creative process like?
“I find this question rather ambiguous in that to create one has to be inspired but, as we have already mentioned the source of inspiration, I will describe some of the creative processes incurred in producing a piece of artwork. For instance to make a sculpture of iron plate; I make sketches of the figures that I want to devise. Then I make the templates out of cardboard for the shapes that I require from which I draw the forms on the iron plate which I then cut with the laser blow torch. The next steps are refining the edges of the pieces of iron with a radial and then welding them together with a spot welder to complete the figures. This process I used to make ‘The 3rd of May.’ To make an artist's lithograph print of 3 colours, I prepare the zinc plates with Arabic rubber and grease. Then I treat them with acid to fix the surface. I then make the different colour inks which I apply to the plates with a roller. Now I put the paper over the plate and pass it through the torcula to achieve my print. This is the method I used to make ‘Cala Tarida.’ The processes are very different for all the methods of printmaking.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The role of artists is to preserve and reflect the identity of a society. Through various mediums such as painting, literature, music, and performance, the artists cover the collective experiences, beliefs, and struggles of a community. Creative expression is important to society as it inspires, influences and helps people. On a personal level, my art connects with viewers on both an emotional and intellectual level, encouraging a renewed appreciation for narratives that bind human experiences universally. In my figurative art, I chronical the essence of human connection but elevate the mundane to the sphere of art, encouraging viewers to reconsider their perspectives on art and life. As I mentioned before, my aim through my art is too share my zest for life with others but it includes underlying messages as well. The evolution of the artist`s role is to provide joy, interaction, and inspiration, but also to criticize the political, economic, and social system and by persuading people to make steps toward social progress.”
