Jess Levey is an exhibiting artist with Karen Dana Cohen.
Artists Statement on Reciprocity
Forced into quarantine with our partners and our children, as the Pandemic took over our lives, the domestic landscape became more contemplative and at the same time suffocating. Every corner was efficiently transformed to fill a purpose. We re-connected during the Pandemic when Jess asked Karen to participate in a new video piece for which she was interviewing mothers about their experience in quarantine with their families. This act of social-emotional reciprocity, quickly transitioned to discussions about our art practice, about how we can find ways to support each other more consistently, about what we needed right now to feel grounded in life and through our art process. We were both exploring themes of domesticity- Jess was exploring the changing sound landscape while Karen was discovering the changing visual landscape of her home. They were both finding ways to control what they could through mundane domestic tasks that quickly took on a more therapeutic role.
Artist Bio for Jess Levey
Jess Levey is a New York based, multimedia artist who works in photography, video installation, and sound. Her video, photography and sound projects are inspired by a drive to explore the psychological effects of constraint and to question social and structural constructs. Her work has been exhibited at various art spaces in and around NYC including Exit Art, The Invisible Dog, NurtureArt, MoCADA, and The Rochester Contemporary. Jess was born and bred in Brooklyn, NY where she lived until she moved with her husband and daughter to Jackson Heights, Queens- the most diverse neighborhood in the world where you can hear over 165 different languages spoken. She received her BA from Barnard College and her MFA from Hunter College.
© Jess Levey