ARTIST STATEMENT
This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. This is how civilizations heal.” -Toni Morrison
The ANONYMOUS series is a collection of intimate and evocative monochromatic portrait paintings that derive from a single century-old photograph. The subject of the portrait is used as a vehicle for expression and each channels the artist’s different emotional responses, often reflecting the current events of today’s chaotic world. From personal tragedy and distant empathies to a social and political outcry, each painting embodies a degree of ambiguity or anonymity, allowing the viewer to bring their interpretation and response to the table.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
A native of northwest Ohio, Jill Sarver Rossi relocated to Connecticut in 2008 for graduate school and has spent the last 15 years continuing her studio practice as well as teaching, working in art administration, and jurying and curating exhibitions in Connecticut and New York City. Jill is the Executive Director at Rome Art Program, a NYC-based educational non-profit organization with summer programs in Rome, Italy.
Rossi’s journey into the art world began as early as age 5 and was cemented at 12 when she developed a love for ancient Egyptian and Roman art and archaeology. Choosing to pursue art over archaeology, she now incorporates both worlds into her art, as her work often investigates feminine presence derived from memory of ancient figures and artifacts. She uses shifts in tonality and light to explore the duality between solidity and air, linking present and past.
Jill received her M.F.A. in Painting from Western Connecticut State University (2010), M.A. in Painting and Drawing from Eastern Illinois University (2004), and B.F.A in Painting and B.A. in Spanish from Miami University (2003). In 2021, Jill was recognized by Connecticut Magazine as one of “Five Emerging Connecticut Artists to Watch.” Her work is in numerous private collections throughout the US and Europe and is represented at First Street Gallery, NYC.
© Jill Sarver Rossi