A FAINT shadow trace

Paris London Hong Kong, Chicago, IL
June 3 – July 8, 2017

Jaclyn Mednicov’s material process parallels that of remembering. Photographs taken by the artist of decaying flowers and carvings that memorialize lost loves and loved ones provide the starting point for her exploration on the material and haptic processes of a transfer. A slippery formula loosens the markings on the surface of each initial print and mediates the transfer of the photographic image onto a blank panel. Layers of light impressions blur colors and forms. Though traces remain, the original picture is no longer fully present.

Mednicov includes scraps of her photographs collaged on top of the imprinted surfaces, as if in an attempt to recover whole memories while acknowledging the superficiality of this intention. Her bolder, more vivid tones convey a determination—even a desperation—as the panels are darkened by the high contrast printed fragments. As these memorials are also transferred from photographs to screen prints to carpet tiles, they are turned black and white. The messages noting a time of transition are placed in the gallery, a space filled with movement, causing them to disintegrate and blend over time as more and more visitors walk over them. A desire to bathe in the beauty of Mednicov’s imagery may draw viewers in. Yet, a close look at the surfaces of her panels, reliefs, castings, and carpets will reveal the fragility and temporality of the subjects she references. Mednicov’s work is not an attempt at recreating or preserving beauty, life, or memories, but rather, a reminder of the difficulty that comes with letting go.   — Frances Dorenbaum, 2017