Jason Messinger

Jason Messinger creates ceramic art that straddles the cool allure of pure abstraction and the hot recognition of representation. His art explores the fuzzy borders between representation and abstraction, identity and design, meaning and beauty. Sculptures that are abstract in shape but with a figurative sensibility, and tile murals with symbolic imagery that tease the viewer into becoming complicit in their meaning.

The sculptures are solidly present while expressly fluid. They change appearance with the viewers’ perspective, transforming in shape and direction. Each face of the work functions like movements of a dance, with unexpected turns. Different perspectives on the work converse with each other, creating a circular narrative of motion and stillness, form and emotion.

The artist approaches ceramic tile with a painter’s concerns and a sculptor’s experience. The idea of abstraction on the edge of identification permeates the work. Images often hint at language, symbol, map, comic strip, or hieroglyph; but only hint, as the symbols remain undefined, transitional. His multi-tile works are modular, allowing any configuration and sequence of the tiles. The murals exhibit a circular narrative, open-ended to interpretation. The viewer becomes complicit in constructing the meaning. Mounting systems allows one to easily change the position of the tiles, and thus reset the ‘narrative’.

The artist’s paintings and drawings on paper in ink, pastel, and watercolor, re-imagine the world into patterns and diagrams of movement and color, light and gesture.