Iana Quesnell Regional Artist Talk at Lux Art Institute

 

by Patricia Frischer

Iana Quesnell Regional Artist Talk at Lux Art Institute

I strongly encourage everyone to watch the recorded version of this talk by Iana Quesnell if you are interested in a truly dedicated and talented women who sacrifices for her art. We have been following this artist who lives in her truck so that she does not have to cover rent with extra paid work even before her SD Art Prize win.  Not only did this presentation take you through her body of work, but the presentation itself was a work of performance art.

The few screen shots below don’t give you a true idea of the excitement created by an Quesnell who continues to dig deep into her motives in her quest to find meaning for her life. Her show at Lux Art Institute shows a selection of work…not a retrospective, but a part of the journey she is on.
IN STUDIO: Friday, January 15, 2021 through Friday, January 15, 2021
ON EXHIBIT Saturday, January 16, 2021 through Saturday, March 20, 2021

Here are a few sounds bites from the presentation which started with the title “You are what you eat.”

Perception is key. There really is no difference between a yoga practice, an art practice or even boring work a cashier at Trader Joe’s.

In mapping the posture of yoga, she learned to map her whole life.

We need to understand the scrips of our lives and learn if it is possible to change those scrips.

Notice the difference between free will vs conditioning.

Her drawings are grueling to make, but a joy of dedication.  

Her training is in systems analysis. So she loves showing the work as a body and not an individual entity.  

The life style is the work. The work is a performance.

During military service seeing a haystack out the flap of her tent took her right to Monet's painting

Capturing yoga postures in her first classes

Planning notes for a project. Each large drawing has a full size first version. Mistakes are not possible on the final version as the paper cannot be erased 

detail view 

detail view

detail view

View from her living room from her apartment in TJ

Detail view of her stay at the Omni before her SD Art Prize exhibition

DIY easels made from cardboard and buckets with one for her and two for guest who might draw with her on the beach.