Jenn Cacciola
Noli Me Tangere I (2015)
embroidered fabric
26 x 18 in.
NFS
How does an artist depict someone who’s too familiar, or a stranger, someone no longer living, or whom they’ve never seen?
Through its documentary and research-based process, Jenn Cacciola’s work allows pain to have a comfortable place to be around people. Isolation, aging, vulnerability, and the ways in which all of these factors affect our ability to know one another serve as a few recurring themes. Though her earlier work used portraiture explicitly, she currently uses anthropomorphism to answer the question, “What are the criteria of a portrait?” Unlike in most comparable subjects, permission and patience play key roles in the making and viewing of a portrait.
Many of Jenn’s works, therefore, induce the experience of listening deeply. Her work touches on many types of media, with an identifying tactility and stillness that is common throughout. Her pieces generally take form in tapestry, sculpture, painting, and installation—sometimes involving audio components.
© Jenn Cacciola