DNA Artspace: Jenna Faye Powell: I’m Okay

When walking through the gallery the works by Jenna Faye Powell stood out to me the most. The specific pieces that caught my eye were, Quagmire II, 2015 and Quagmire I, 2015. These works brought up questions and concerns that students in my drawing class have been struggling with. I felt like I could relate to the work because of these previous discussions about the importance of text in a work and how it can be used to emphasize emotion. I enjoy the way that Powell’s side by side works play off of each other (Quagmire II and Quagmire I). The words, “I’m okay” and, “alright” hold a lot of layers of emotion because they are often used when someone is not okay or when someone is not alright. Through the use of pencil crayon on paper, Powell is able to show layers of forms with written words on them. Each layer is hidden by the layer on top. Her work shows that there is always a desire to stay positive or to put on a brave face despite the situation someone might be in during a specific moment.